John Elway Interview: A Bleacher Report Exclusive With the Hall of Fame QB

When NFL fans think of the name John Elway, things like two-time Super Bowl champion, The Drive, and clutch performer all come to mind for the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback.

What doesn't come to mind is Pepsi Max.

That is what Elway is promoting and more importantly, he is part of the grand prize for Pepsi Max's Touchdown in London contest—where the ultimate NFL fan and three guests will be chosen to go to London to attend the October 31 game where the Denver Broncos will play the San Francisco 49ers.

Also included in the grand prize will be dinner with Elway, plus much more.

To sign up for the chance to win or for more information, click here to go the Touchdown in London site.

With so many beverage companies on the zero calorie bandwagon, why did Elway choose Pepsi Max over all the competition?

"I'm a Pepsi guy," says Elway candidly. "And I love the opportunity to be a part of the promotion to find the ultimate fan for the Touchdown in London contest."

Being a former Stanford quarterback, it was interesting to hear what Elway's take was on current Stanford prospect Andrew Luck.

"He is really fantastic and has all the tools, size, and arm to throw the ball," says Elway about the young quarterback at his alma mater. "He is a great competitor, and his future is bright with how physical the team plays and runs the ball too."

Elway had some thoughts on Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow.

"He is going to be the guy in the future," says Elway. "He may be raw and a work in progress, but he has the intangibles to be something special, but with [Kyle] Orton throwing [the ball] so well right now, there is no rush."

Tebow may have a lot to learn while sitting on the sidelines, but Elway said that is nothing but a good thing for the former Florida Gators star.

"Tim will work really hard and continue to improve to better understand the pro game. He also has the luxury of not being under the gun to perform right away," says Elway.

Sticking with the quarterback talk, Elway had several interesting views as to why several teams like the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Oakland Raiders are all having trouble finding stability at quarterback and seem to have a constant carousel at the position too.

"It is never easy to find a diamond in the rough [at quarterback]," says Elway. "This all comes down to the system and finding a quarterback who fits that system, while actually getting a chance to draft that quarterback too."

Elway pointed out that the Browns could be on the upswing with new Team President Mike Holmgren at the helm.

"With Holmgren in Cleveland, they now have a chance to find their future quarterback," says Elway, referring to Holmgren's résumé of finding great quarterbacks in the past.

A surprising answer came from Elway with regards to "The Drive" though.

"That was the third biggest game of my career behind my two Super Bowl wins," says Elway. "I was in my fourth season and it was a coming-out game for me since I needed to prove to my critics that I was too a legit NFL quarterback and that I could raise my level of play on the road and in the clutch."

Asked if he has an itch to coach in college or in the NFL in the future, Elway said his family came first after retirement.

"When I retired, I really wanted to spend time with my family and kids," says Elway. "Coaching would have prevented that due to the commitment of the job and travel that goes with it too."

Elway has been able to coach his son's team in both Pop Warner and in high school.

When asked if he would consider an analyst job for a major sports network, Elway said those are reserved for the younger players who just come out of the league after retiring, so that is not really an option for him.

Elway was very friendly and candid in his interview, and many thanks to Pepsi Max for allowing such an interview with a legendary NFL quarterback to happen.

For more information on Pepsi Max's Touchdown in London contest, please click here.

(This was a Daniel Wolf exclusive interview for Bleacher Report.)