This is the anniversary of 50 years of Denver Broncos football, as the American Football League began play in the 1960 season and will be celebrated in various ways throughout the year.

I thought one of the things that might be a little bit of fun and nostalgia on our web site would be to blog about some of the great memories and legendary characters who were a part of the Broncos and the AFL in those early years.

The AFL, by the way, lasted longer than any other “second” football league in history and was the only one to have all of its franchises absorbed into the National Football League.

You will find plenty of fans and officials who were a part of the AFL who consider it an indelible part of their lives.

One of the great characters in the AFL was Cookie Gilchrist. The name perhaps evokes a small kick returner or undersized cornerback, but don’t be fooled by the moniker “Cookie.”

There was nothing soft about Carlton Chester “Cookie” Gilchrist.