Otis Armstrong – Syndication Server

Champ Bailey was the best player to wear No. 24 for the Broncos

A 12-time Pro Bowler with 52 career interceptions, Hall of Fame CB Champ Bailey was the best player to ever wear No. 24 for the Broncos.

We’ve reached No. 24 in our series of the best players to wear each jersey number for the Denver Broncos, and this one is an easy decision.

Before we get to the best ever to wear No. 24, former running back Otis Armstrong deserves an honorable mention. Armstrong spent his entire career with the Broncos from 1973-1980. He earned two Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro honor during his time in Denver.

Armstrong’s 4,453 rushing yards rank fourth in franchise history and his 25 rushing touchdowns rank eighth in Broncos history. He was one of the best RBs in team history, but not the best to ever wear No. 24.

Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey was the best player to ever wear No. 24 in Denver. After spending the first five years of his career in D.C., Bailey was traded to the Broncos as part of a blockbuster deal that sent Clinton Portis to Washington.

Bailey went on to play 10 seasons in Denver. A 12-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro, Bailey is a member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team, the Washington Commanders 90 Greatest team, the Broncos Ring of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bailey retired in 2014 with 52 career interceptions on his resume.

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Former Broncos star RB Otis Armstrong dies at 70

The Denver Broncos are mourning the death of former star RB Otis Armstrong at 70

Otis Armstrong, the Denver Broncos’ first-round pick in 1973 out of Purdue, died Wednesday at the age of 70.

The running back led the NFL in rushing in his second season with 1,405 yards. Those were the days when the league played 14 games, so Armstrong averaged better than 100 yards per game on the ground in 1974.

He played his entire career with Denver. Armstrong rushed for 4,453 yards and scored 25 touchdowns. He added 7 more TDs on pass receptions.

At Purdue from 1970-72, Armstrong rushed for 3,315 yards and 17 touchdowns. He missed having 3 1,000-yard seasons by finishing with 945 yards in 1971. Those were the times when colleges played 10- or 11-game seasons.

His 276-yard performance against Indiana in 1972 remains the school’s best mark for a single-game rushing performance. Armstrong finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year as he rushed for 1,361 yards, and he was named a consensus All-American and the Big Ten MVP.

Per Denverbroncos.com:

He ranks fourth in franchise history in rushing attempts and rushing yards, and his 1974 season represents the seventh-highest rushing total ever posted by a Bronco.

Soon after the team drafted him in 1973, then-offensive coordinator Max Coley called Armstrong “a young Floyd Little,” according to a Denver Post article. Armstrong quickly identified himself as one of the fastest players on the team.

Melvin Gordon joins tradition of great Denver Broncos running backs

Melvin Gordon has agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos, stepping into a backfield that has a great history.

Melvin Gordon has switched his allegiance from the Los Angeles Chargers to the Denver Broncos. Going from one AFC West team to another means he will face the Bolts twice a season. It also means he joins a team that has had many running backs who have had 1,000-yard seasons. A high bar for Gordon, who has one 1,000-yard season to his credit, to maintain.

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