The football world is mourning the death of legendary Denver Broncos general manager John Beake, after his passing at the age of 87.Beake spent more than two decades with the Broncos, helping the team to five Super Bowl appearances, two of them ending in championships.He won a third Super Bowl as a coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he spent six years as the offensive backfield coach in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was in Denver where he was most successful, though, with the team calling him a ‘pivotal figure in the franchise’s history’ in an emotional statement revealing the news of his death.The organization added that he ‘made an enduring impact on our organization during more than two decades with the team,’ in which he spent 14 years as GM.No cause of death has yet been revealed, and Beake is survived by his wife Marcia, his sons, Chip and Chris, and his grandchildren, Colin, Giselle, Jack, Emilie, Madeline, Vivienne and Pau. Denver Broncos’ legendary general manager John Beake has died at the age of 87 Beake (right) walks with legendary Broncos tight end Riley Odoms back in October 1983 Beake (C) spent 14 years as the Denver Broncos’ general manager, reaching five Super BowlsHe is preceded in death by his daughter, Jerilyn. Beake is credited with helping the team trade for future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway in 1983, before he went on to become the winningest QB in franchise history.In a football career spanning more than four decades, the New Jersey native also worked for Penn State, Colorado State, New York Military Academy and the New Orleans Saints as a coach.In his role as an exec away from the sideline, he became managing director of football operations for NFL Europe between 2001 and 2003, eventually retiring at the end of his three-year tenure in the role.