John Beake, the Broncos GM behind two Super Bowl titles, dies at 87

"The Broncos are saddened by the passing of longtime executive John Beake, who made an enduring impact on our organization during more than two decades with the team," the Broncos said in a statement. "John helped guide the Broncos to five Super Bowl appearances, including back-to-back World Championships, and was a respected leader throughout one of the most successful eras in franchise history. Following his time in Denver, he remained an influential figure through his work with the NFL and on the Broncos Ring of Fame Committee. Our deepest condolences are with his wife, Marcia, his sons, Chip and Chris, and the entire Beake family."

Beake served as general manager during the Broncos' Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII victories, and he guided the front office during three Super Bowl appearances in the 1980s, according to the team. The teams he helped craft won seven division titles and made 12 playoff appearances across his tenure, and Denver compiled a 152-86-1 record while he was general manager, according to ClutchPoints and Bleacher Report.

His Broncos career began well before the general manager job. Beake started his 22-year tenure with the organization in 1979 and held multiple personnel roles, including director of pro personnel and director of player personnel, before assuming the role of general manager, the team said. In 1983, while on the personnel staff, he helped the Broncos trade for future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who became the winningest quarterback in franchise history.

Before Denver, Beake coached under Pro Football Hall of Famer Hank Stram with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1968 to 1974 and with the New Orleans Saints in 1976 and 1977, according to the Broncos. In Kansas City he earned a championship ring from the Chiefs' Super Bowl IV win, and when his Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII, he became the first upper-level administrator to earn Super Bowl titles as both an administrator and a coach, according to the NFL. He also spent a season as the offensive coordinator at Colorado State University.

At the end of his Broncos tenure in 2000, Beake transitioned into a role as the team's vice president of administration, the Broncos said. He then joined the NFL's league office as vice president of player development and managing director of NFL Europe's football operations, and in 2002 he advanced to vice president of football development and operations.

In the years after his retirement, Beake was a longtime member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame committee, helping to elect players to the franchise's highest honor, according to the team. All told, the Broncos said, Beake worked in the NFL for more than 30 years and spent more than four decades in football roles.