Greenwood Village - He wears No. 7. Of course.

He gave serious consideration to selecting another jersey number and playing linebacker instead of quarterback. But John Albert Elway III is not sidestepping the shadow cast by his NFL Hall of Fame father.

On the eve of opening practice for the state's 86th high-school football season, the blond-haired kid Coloradans watched grow up through Broncos training camps, in sideline shots and on the podium next to his father after two Super Bowl victories is battling to become the starting varsity quarterback at longtime power Cherry Creek.

At 17 years old, he doesn't have Dad's odd gait, bad knee, pigeon toes or experience in selling cars, steaks and acid-reflux medicine. He does offer similar student-athlete promise relative to entering his junior year in high school. Count arm strength, escaping from the pocket, work ethic, leadership, competitiveness and a high grade-point average as some of his traits, perhaps topped only by understanding his name and who he is.

"It's my passion," said Elway, who goes by Jack. "I just like the competition, mostly being on the field to make the big play."

Father is looking forward to the season as much as son.

"It's a blast; I can't wait for the season to start," the elder Elway said.

The proud father in John Elway, obvious in recent years as he attended his daughters' games at Cherry Creek, is ready to attain another level.

"He's starting to get really eager and curious," John said. "He's at that fun age."

Jack will enter Monday's first practice in a quarterback battle with Silva Collin, a senior transfer from Mullen.

"The competition will be good for Jack," John said.

Standing 6 feet 2 1/2 inches, 185 pounds, Jack is much bigger than his father was.

"When my dad was about this age, he was 5-10, 165," Jack said.

His arm strength is up - he can

throw a football 65 yards in the air - and his vertical leap surpasses 30 inches.

Put it this way, John said, "I don't wrestle with him anymore."

Does Jack shrink from stepping into his father's shoes? At preseason practice, he sported a pair of John's white Reeboks, complete with orange logos on the side and No. 7 on the heels.

"Dads always dream of their sons taking over for them, whether it's football or anything else," John said.

Mom nervous at games

Undoubtedly, Colorado's loyal football fans will hear John Elway's only son is on the verge of varsity football and seek a peek. Don't be surprised if attendance is up at the Stutler Bowl where Cherry Creek plays.

One fan in particular will be in attendance for each game, though she may not see much of the action.

Janet Elway, an accomplished swimmer, watched Jack's father set NFL records, win Super Bowls, turn in dozens of "how- did-he-do-that" plays and evoke the argument that he was the greatest ever to take a snap.

However, when it comes to Janet's watching her son, well, she's a basket case.

"With Jack, it's amazing," she said. "I didn't realize it until last year how nervous I am watching him. ... I'm an absolute mess. I don't think I saw many snaps.

"It surprised me. I remember watching John play, and I loved every second of it. I ate it up. I was overly excited, all of that. ... I had no idea it would be so different with my son. It surprised me how much it has moved me. Just seeing him out there in a uniform, having to make split decisions with the ball right then and there ..."

No problem. Janet knows she can depend on friends sitting nearby - but not too close - to fill her in.

"I will be there, but I'll probably be sick to my stomach," she said.

Additional maternal irony comes via the Elway sisters. Jessica Elway is at Stanford, where she played basketball

John Elway during his career at Granada Hills High School in California in the 1970s.

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before deciding to concentrate on her studies. Jordan is headed into her sophomore season as a lacrosse player at Virginia. Meanwhile, the youngest, Juliana (Juju), who is headed into her sophomore year at Cherry Creek, couldn't care less about athletics.

"I look back on it now, and three of the four have been fanatical," Janet said.

To be fair, she said, "the youngest was (always) in a car seat. She was dragged around and had to sit through practice. She said, 'Are you kidding me? I will not do sports. I'll find something else to do.'

"I love every second of it with all of the kids," Janet said. "I'm so excited for their successes that it brings me to tears."

Said John: "I can't wait for the season to start. My whole fall will be revolving around his games."

Just "part of the team"

It's Americana at its finest, as natural as spring water - a father working with his son in athletics.

And it's not that different for Jack, even if others think it is. Simply hearing the name Elway in Colorado can start assumptions flying.

"Yeah, I mean, it's definitely there," Jack said. "Everyone's expecting it of me. If I meet someone, they'll think 'I bet that kid can throw it 100 yards.' It's always there, it almost helps me to put the pressure on myself. But once I get to know people, the last name becomes obsolete."

Said Cherry Creek teammate Karl Heimbrock: "He's just Jack with us. Nobody's worried what kind of car he's driving or anything like that. He's part of the team, someone who can help us."

Two years ago, Jack worked his way into the Cherry Creek lineup as quarterback and linebacker on the freshman team, then handled most of the junior varsity snaps last season as the team finished 8-2. He also made a cameo appearance on varsity. His first pass attempt was picked off, but forget about fear of failure.

"I'm getting more comfortable with the reads,"

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he said. "I think I'm progressing and seeing more of the field."

Said Cherry Creek coach Greg Critchett: "He throws a nice, deep ball; he has understood the concepts of what we do with our running game, looking the safety off, watching and reading the field. He's not worried about the rush."

His competition for the job is Collin, who started at various points for Mullen but lost the No. 1 job to Clint Brewster, son of Broncos assistant coach Tim Brewster. He knows he opted for a place where he's vying with the only son of the Broncos' greatest player, but he isn't blinking.

"We're pretty cool," Collin said. "There's no bad blood between us. The coaches will settle on one (starter), hopefully. Our offense needs rhythm."

The varsity finished 8-3 last year and lost to Columbine in the first round of the playoffs.

Jack Elway has the benefit of a pretty seasoned tutor. With his parents divorced (the two youngest children live with Janet) and John having a taxing series of business commitments and travels, father and son value their time together.

"I'll go to his office and we'll just start throwing it around," Jack said.

John has been helping Jack work on his release. The number of videos they watch together is increasing, but they have nothing to do with Hollywood.

"More so now, because he's at this level, we'll be watching a lot of film together and teaching him the game," John said.

Opposing Class 5A varsity defenders surely are thinking about sacking the son of John Elway, one of the NFL's all-time Houdini escape artists.

"Scrambling," Jack said. "My dad talks to me about it, one of those intangible things to have, that sense to find those holes you can get out in."

Don McCall, a longtime figure in Colorado high-school sports and the Cherry Creek Bruins' offensive-line coach, said protecting young Elway from the rush will be easier because he "offers escapability and

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athletic intangibles. That's something you can't teach, and he's got it. He's coming a long way."

No pressure from Dad

Jack said there has been no nudge for him to do exactly what his father did. In fact, it's taboo.

"He's not pushy," Jack said of his father. "And (my parents) want me to do what I want to do. ... My friends and I talk about it. Maybe if my dad played wide receiver or defensive back, it would be different. But there's no pressure."

John is carefully watching how his son develops.

"The thing I get concerned about are the expectations of himself, not the expectations other people put on him," John said. "Obviously, being my son, there will be high expectations. ... I just want him to be a kid and enjoy himself."

"He does tremendously," Janet said. "Can you imagine not only being John's only son, but to play in Denver and to be named John Elway? It's unbelievable.

"In some cities John could have played in, it would not have been that big of a deal, but Denver is a football town. People have known about Jack since he was a baby. They wanted him to grow up to be just like daddy, and that pressure's pretty big."

As for accepting the No. 7, two years ago Jack found himself with Bruins teammates when jerseys were issued. They had one saved for him, but he wrestled with wearing his dad's number.

"It crossed my mind to change," he said. "I thought about it, then said to myself, 'Why change?' I didn't want people to label me.

"As it has gone on, it has been easier to hold on to."