Ted Sundquist

Ted Sundquist begins his 16th year with the Denver Broncos in 2007 and his sixth season as the club’s general manager, having been named to that position in 2002 after 10 years in player personnel for the National Football League team.

Since being named the Broncos’ general manager on Jan. 28, 2002, Sundquist has helped Denver post the NFL’s fourth-best regular-season record (51-29 / .638) during the last five years. Denver has reached the playoffs three times with Sundquist as general manager, including the 2005 season in which the AFC West champion Broncos hosted the AFC Championship Game. In addition, Sundquist has managed a personnel department during a time when the Broncos have tied a franchise record by posting a winning season for five consecutive years.

During five seasons with Sundquist as general manager, the Broncos have been one of the NFL’s most aggressive clubs in terms of player acquisition. Denver has acquired 53 players who were former first or second round picks in the NFL Draft and completed the fourth-most trades (24) involving players as of June 2007 with Sundquist leading its personnel department.

One of the youngest major personnel executives in the NFL when he became Denver’s general manager in 2002, Sundquist holds the responsibility of negotiating player contracts and managing the football operations department’s $150 million budget. He also oversees the Broncos’ entire player personnel department, including all pro and college operations.

In addition to supervising pro and college scouting, Sundquist is responsible for salary cap and contract analysis, video and football technologies, equipment, operations, training and medical personnel, training camp and turf management. He is charged with establishing and implementing policies and practices within those departments of football operations.

Sundquist is involved in all areas of financial planning and with respect to personnel decisions related to the signing of free agents, the selection of players in the college draft, trades, waivers and other football-related activities, including the long-term management of Denver’s salary cap.

For the past 11 years, during which time the Broncos have been one of NFL’s most successful organizations, Sundquist has evaluated every draftable player and endorsed such standouts as Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Trevor Pryce, Ian Gold, Al Wilson, D.J. Williams, Domonique Foxworth and Jay Cutler. He also has had success with several undrafted free agents such as Matt Lepsis and Lenny Walls, who both developed into starters for the club, and Mike Bell, who in 2006 recorded one of the best seasons by an undrafted rookie running back in league history.

As general manager, Sundquist has been instrumental in the acquisition of many successful free agents, including quarterback Jake Plummer (2003), safety John Lynch (2004), tight end Stephen Alexander (2005), defensive end Kenard Lang (2006), tight end Daniel Graham (2007) and running back Travis Henry (2007). He also has made upgrades to the club through trades that have brought the Broncos such players as seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey (2004), defensive tackle Gerard Warren (2005), wide receiver Javon Walker (2006), cornerback Dré Bly (2007) and defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy (2007).

Sundquist led a front office that was one of the NFL’s most aggressive in the 2007 offseason through trades, free agency and the NFL Draft. Denver opened up free agency by obtaining Bly, a two-time Pro Bowl choice, in a trade with Detroit on the first day of the league year. A few days later, the club agreed to terms with Henry, a three-time 1,000-yard running back, and Graham, who was regarded by many as one of the top unrestricted free agents available. Sundquist also significantly upgraded the Broncos’ depth in signing free-agent quarterback Patrick Ramsey and wide receiver Brandon Stokley while adding one of the top run defenders in the National Football League in three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Sam Adams.

During the first day of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Broncos moved up four places in the first round to select University of Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss with the 17th overall pick. A day later, Sundquist led Denver’s efforts to obtain a fourth-round pick to choose Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas.

The 2006 NFL Draft saw the Broncos’ personnel department upgrade the club for both the present and future. Sundquist orchestrated a trade with St. Louis that allowed the Broncos to move up four spots in the first round of the draft to select Cutler with the 11th overall pick. The talented signal-caller started the Broncos’ final five games of the season and became the first rookie in NFL history to throw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four games.

Denver also acquired Walker from Green Bay on the first day of the 2006 NFL Draft in exchange for a second-round pick, and the wide receiver totaled 1,084 receiving yards in his first year with the club.

During the 2005 offseason, Sundquist led Denver’s acquisition of two players who were recent top-3 NFL Draft choices in Cleveland defensive linemen Courtney Brown (free agent) and Warren (trade). The Broncos’ 2005 draft class also made major contributions to the club’s 13-3 finish that year with cornerbacks Darrent Williams (2nd round) and Foxworth (3rd round) starting nine and seven games, respectively.

Sundquist spent six very successful seasons (1996-2001) as the Broncos’ director of college scouting before being named general manager. He apprenticed under the Broncos’ late college scouting director Jerry Frei in 1995 and was a pro and college scout for the club from 1993-94.

At age 45, Sundquist has already established himself as one of the league’s top player personnel evaluators. A testament to this first came in 1997 when Sundquist was selected to sit on the five-member Executive Committee of National Football Scouting, Inc., for which he now serves on the Board of Directors. He also is a member of the selection committee for the annual National Invitational Camp, which is commonly referred to as the NFL’s Scouting Combine, and sits on the NFL’s College Advisory Committee as well as the NFL Europa Committee.

Sundquist, who earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado in 1992, joined the Broncos after working at the U.S. Air Force Academy. A graduate of the school, Sundquist was a member of the Air Force Academy’s football coaching staff in 1989 and was the head coach of the USAFA Prepatory School from 1990-92.

Demonstrating a background more diverse than many in his profession, Sundquist was stationed in Berlin from 1986-88 as a flight commander for the 6912 Electronic Security Group. In that capacity, he supervised and directed 45 Air Force personnel as well as $35 million worth of equipment. He also reported highly perishable defense information to Theater Tactical Commanders and briefed general officers and state department officials regarding flight operations.

Sundquist also was a member of the U.S. National Bobsled Team from 1984-88 and competed in the 1988 Olympic Trials. After playing football at the Air Force Academy, where he participated on two bowl teams and was selected team captain as a senior, he began his career in football on the school’s coaching staff in 1984.

A Texas native, Sundquist played at Spring Woods High School in Houston with major-league pitching great Roger Clemens.

Sundquist was born May 1, 1962, in Houston. He and his wife, Amy, live in Parker, Colo.