BRONCOS OWNER BOWLEN STEPS DOWN, SAYS HE HAS ALZHEIMER S DISEASE

Even as dementia began to rob him of some of his fondest memories over the past few years, Denver Broncosowner Pat Bowlen reported to work every day to oversee multimillion-dollar upgrades to the team's training facilities and roster.

This place will never be the same," a choked-up general manager John Elway said. "... It's going to be very hard to not see him walk through the front doors every day."

Ownership of the franchise is held in a trust Bowlen set up more than a decade ago in hopes that one of his seven children will one day run the team, Ellis said Bowlen asked him to run that trust.

Alzheimer's has taken so much from Pat, but it will never take away his love for the Denver Broncos and his sincere appreciation for the fans," Bowlen's wife, Annabel, said in a statement.

After acknowledging in 2009 that he suffered short-term memory loss, Bowlen stepped back from day-to-day operations in 2011 when he promoted Ellis to president. For the first time this offseason, Ellis represented the Broncos at the annual owners meetings.