Brison Manor, a starter on the Denver Broncos’ dominant “Orange Crush” defense, died Wednesday, the team reported. He was 70.
No cause of death was given.
The Broncos announced his death via social media.
Manor, a New Jersey native who played for the Arkansas Razorbacks, was originally drafted by the Jets in the 15th round in 1975. However, he never caught on in New York and landed in Denver in 1976, but missed that entire season with an injury. He eventually played 113 games over seven seasons in Denver, with 36 starts.
Manor recorded four sacks during the 1977 season, which ended with the Broncos losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. That Orange Crush defense dominated opponents; only one team scored more than 14 points against the Broncos in the regular season. The team held opponents under 10 points in seven games that year.
“We’re considered one of the best defenses ever in the NFL,” Manor said in 2018 (via the Broncos) “When your defense has a nickname, you know you were good. … Teams couldn’t run against us at all. We played reckless. We didn’t really care about our bodies. We were flying all over the field. It was a fun time, because people were scared of us.”
Former Broncos DB Billy Thompson told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette that Manor was a “great teammate.”
“He was a great teammate, no question about it,” Thompson said. “He was a hard worker. He wasn’t a regular starter but was always there when we needed him and did a tremendous job. I’m really sorry to hear (of passing).”
The NFL world shared their memories of the former player and sympathies for his family.
Let’s get a “66” sticker remembering him!
— jokes (@JESUSguideME) June 21, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.