John Elway's Controversial Draft-Day Saga Relived in ESPN's 30 for 30 Special | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

ESPN's 30 for 30 series will chronicle Elway's draft saga in its "Elway to Marino" special on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET. 

Elway was the first of six quarterbacks selected in the 1983 NFL draft. He didn't want to play for the Colts—a team that hadn't had success for quite some time—and had warned the team not to select him with the first overall pick. 

Having played one summer of minor league baseball for the New York Yankees, Elway had a bit of leverage over owner Robert Irsay. George Steinbrenner wanted Elway as his starting right fielder, and the quarterback's threat to take Steinbrenner up on his offer to play professional baseball was far from idle. 

We all know what happened next.

The Denver Broncos worked out a trade with the Colts to acquire Elway, and the rest is history. 

Elway went on to win two Super Bowls with the Broncos, was a nine-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

It's fascinating to ponder what might have been if Elway hadn't been able to convince the Colts to trade him. Would he have truly gone through with his threat to play baseball?

We'll never know, but there's no question Elway's refusal to play for the team that drafted him changed the NFL for good. 

Make sure to tune in to ESPN Tuesday night for more details on Elway's draft adventure. His isn't the only story this upcoming 30 for 30 special will tell, and you won't want to miss it.