Mile High Report · Jan 23, 2019
Reason #18 - He’s the ‘Smiling Assassin.’ What else do you need to know?
For decades I’ve known Steve Atwater as the “Smiling Assassin.”
If you’re reading this, the 18th story in our series to say the obvious (Atwater deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame yesterday), then you’re old school and probably know Atwater by this nickname too.
But I’ve always wondered how he got it. I’ve Googled it; I’ve looked in my “100 things every Broncos fan should know...” almanac; I’ve asked fellow bloggers and fans.
No help.
There was never any story about why he was named the Smiling Assassin; just that he was.
And he definitely was.
No one before or since has hit like Steve Atwater. And no one who came close ever smiled like he did.
