Tommy Maddox

In that game, Maddox became the youngest NFL quarterback to complete a pass since Elmer Angsman in 1946.

Maddox took over the week 11 (November 15) game after Elway left with a shoulder injury, and he led the Broncos to a 27–13 victory over the New York Giants.

Maddox would start the following four games from weeks 12-to-15, all losses.

In his debut start in the week 12 24–0 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders, Maddox went 18-of-26 (69.2%) for 207 yards and two interceptions (both by Terry McDaniel), was sacked four times, and committed three fumbles (including one lost).

Maddox only learned that he would start three hours before kickoff.

The Los Angeles Times account of the game reported: "Every time Denver moved the ball, Maddox would be pressured, sacked or simply dropped the ball."

The following week, in a 16–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Maddox threw his first touchdown pass professionally, connecting with wide receiver Mark Jackson.

Thomas Alfred Maddox (born September 2, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He also played one season each for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League (AFL) and the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL.

In the XFL, Maddox became the league's sole MVP while leading the Xtreme to victory in its only championship.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Maddox graduated from L. D. Bell High School at Hurst, Texas in 1989.

At L. D. Bell, Maddox lettered in football, basketball, and baseball.

As a senior, he was team captain, and was named the Southwest Texas Offensive Player of the Year, District Most Valuable Player, and the Area Most Valuable Player.

Maddox played two seasons (1990–1991) of college football as quarterback at UCLA.

In 1990, Maddox completed 182 of 327 (55.7%) of his passes for 2,682 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.

UCLA went 5–6 in 1990.

The following season, Maddox led UCLA to a 9–3 record and the 1991 John Hancock Bowl title with a 209-for-343 (60.9%) completion rate for 2,681 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.

In his two years with UCLA, Maddox became the first Pac-10 player to pass 5,000 yards by sophomore year.

Maddox played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft with the 25th overall pick.

In a Friday night news conference on January 31, 1992, Maddox announced his intention to declare for the 1992 NFL Draft, reading from a prepared statement: "While I fully understand that another year or two at UCLA would be enjoyable and beneficial to my development, I feel that it is time for me to stand on my feet as a man and take on the opportunities offered by the NFL."

Maddox also announced his upcoming marriage and further explained: "Playing in the NFL has been a dream of mine since childhood, and it's a gut feeling that the time is now right."

Maddox was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round (25th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft.

Covering the draft for television, Joe Theismann commented that Maddox should have stayed at UCLA for another year.

His selection by the Broncos did not sit well with Elway since the Broncos had greater needs at several other positions, which Elway felt should have been addressed with their first pick instead of using it on Maddox.

However, Elway understood that Maddox had no control over the Broncos selection and was always professional in dealing with him, doing what he could to incorporate Maddox into the Broncos system.

Maddox was expected to succeed John Elway as starting quarterback.

As a rookie, Maddox served under coach Dan Reeves.

Maddox took his first snaps during the Week 6 (October 6) game against the Washington Redskins, completing 2-of-8 passes for 10 yards and one interception in the 34–3 loss.

Under coach Wade Phillips, Maddox played all games in 1993 as the placekicker's holder.

On Week 14 (December 5), in a 13–10 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Maddox completed one pass for one yard to linebacker Dave Wyman in a fake field goal attempt.

On August 27, 1994, the Los Angeles Rams traded a fourth-round 1995 NFL Draft pick to the Broncos and acquired Maddox, as the salary cap forced the Broncos to trade him.

Initially, Maddox was the Rams' third-string quarterback behind Chris Miller and Chris Chandler.

His first four seasons with the Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and New York Giants saw limited playing time and minimal success, resulting in him being out of the NFL by 1997.

Maddox became an insurance agent before pursuing a professional comeback in the AFL and XFL between 2000 and 2001.

His MVP season with the latter saw Maddox lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns, while being the only quarterback to start all 10 regular season games.

Following his XFL success, Maddox signed with the Steelers the same year.

He became the team's starting quarterback during the 2002 season, helping lead them to the playoffs and earning Comeback Player of the Year.

Maddox lost his starting position to rookie Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, although he was part of the team that won Super Bowl XL.

He was released by Pittsburgh after the championship, leading to his final professional retirement.

Maddox is one of four players on the Xtreme's championship-winning team who were also on a Super Bowl-winning team.