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Sports Illustrated (1982)
PSA 8.0 - Newsstand Elway's First SI Cover
POPulation Report: NA
$
450
3 Yr. Sold Price Range: $222 - $518
This November 8, 1982 issue of Sports Illustrated captures John Elway at the peak of his Stanford dominance, just months before becoming the most discussed quarterback prospect in football. Headlined “Bombs Away!”, the cover highlights Elway’s cannon arm and game-breaking talent that redefined the modern quarterback prototype.
This is John Elway’s first appearance on a Sports Illustrated cover, making it the true starting point of his SI legacy. Pre-NFL, pre-draft, and pure upside. A PSA 8.0 Newsstand example keeps it squarely in collector-grade territory while still accessible compared to higher-grade population outliers.
Cover Athlete: John Elway
Publication: Sports Illustrated
Issue Date: November 8, 1982
Volume / Issue: Vol. 57, No. 20
Publisher: Time Inc.
Elway’s breakout performance against Washington cemented his reputation as college football’s most electrifying quarterback, and this cover documents the moment the hype became unavoidable. Long before Super Bowls and Hall of Fame induction, this issue captures Elway as a generational prospect — powerful arm, poise under pressure, and complete command of the field. For collectors, it represents the earliest true Elway moment on a major national sports publication, making it one of the most desirable Sports Illustrated covers of the early 1980s.