In enemy territory: Local family cheering on the Broncos
Dave Rossi of Canonsburg shows off one of his Broncos hats. Rossi has been a Broncos fan since childhood.
From left, Vinny Rossi, Brandy Rossi, Dave Rossi and Xander Rossi show off their Denver Broncos jerseys bearing the number once worn by quarterback John Elway.
Dave and Brandy Rossi are both Broncos fans. The Rossi family has a sports den with a large variety of Broncos items, including a bench, autographed jerseys, helmets and other items.
A John Elway statue is one of the many Broncos-themed items in the home of Dave and Brandy Rossi of Canonsburg. Dave’s love of the Broncos started when he was young and has spread to his whole family.
Like many football fans in Western Pennsylvania, Dave Rossi and his family are eagerly anticipating the Steelers-Broncos AFC Divisional Playoff game Sunday.
But Rossi, 49, of Canonsburg, is keeping his fingers crossed for a different outcome than most fans in the area.
Rossi, a native of Pittsburgh’s Strip District, has been a die-hard Denver Broncos fan for about four decades.
“As a child, I loved football, and my favorite color was orange,” said Rossi, who works for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “I asked my parents for an orange football jersey.”
Rossi credits his parents for tracking down an orange Broncos shirt with blue stripes before the days of ordering items on the Internet.
The Rossis selected a jersey bearing the number seven because their son was born June 7. The number, at the time, was worn by Broncos quarterback Craig Morton. The number later was worn by Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who today is the team’s general manager and executive vice president of football operations. From the first time Rossi donned the shirt, he became an avid fan.
“I started rooting for the team,” said Rossi, who, during football season, hangs a Broncos flag outside his home and erects a mailbox with a Broncos logo. “The next year, they (the Broncos) were in the Super Bowl.”
Rossi’s wife, Brandy, 39, a Washington County native, and their sons, Xander, 11, and Vinny, 8, students in Canon-McMillan School District, also root for the Broncos. The boys wear orange and blue to school on black-and-gold days.
Dave Rossi is especially proud of a room in the downstairs of his home on Meadowbrook Drive that is filled with Broncos memorabilia, including everything from helmets, framed shirts, pillows and a custom-made Amish bench to a rocking horse.
Rossi beamed as he pointed out a photo of himself and John Elway taken in 1999 during the annual Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational Golf Outing. Elway autographed a Broncos helmet for Rossi.
“I got to walk with him all day on the golf course,” Rossi said.
At one point, Elway took off up a hill, Rossi said.
“He saw a kid in a wheelchair who was wearing a Broncos shirt,” Rossi said. “He went to talk with him. That is the kind of guy he is.”
The Rossis, who typically watch Steelers games with neighbors, will stay at home for Sunday’s game.
“No one is interested in watching the game with us,” Brandy Rossi quipped.