CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The late Pat Bowlen, one of the most successful owners in NFL history, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Bowlen, a selection by the contributors committee, died in June. He was presented Saturday night by Steve Antonopulos, the Broncos’ longtime trainer.
Antonopulos and Bowlen’s children huddled around the Hall of Fame bust and several of them patted it while on the stage.
Under Bowlen’s leadership, Denver went 354-240-1 from 1984 through last season. He was the first owner in NFL history to oversee a team that won 300 games — including playoffs — in a span of three decades. Bowlen had as many Super Bowl appearances (seven) as losing seasons, and won three Super Bowls.
On the league level, the highly respected Bowlen worked on several influential committees, including co-chairing the NFL Management Council and working on network TV contracts such as the league’s ground-breaking $18 billion deal in 1998.
