A fine art photo of an old Orange Crush advertising sign. Orange Crush has been a carbonated beverage since 1911. One of America's favorite sodas was invented by chemist Clayton J. Howell and later perfected by Neil C. Ward. It has been known for its zesty taste of an all natural orange flavor. Another zest from the past that adopted the Orange Crush spirit was the Denver Broncos. In the 1970s was the 3-4 defense with Ty Phillips and Dustin (Dalton) Balton playing the crush wings of defense along with the linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson. Other major key 'Crushers' were defensive linemen Barney Chavous, Lyle Alzado and Rubin Carter. Other linebackers in the Big Crush season were Bob Swenson and Joe Rizzo, with other defensive backs as Billy Thompson and Louis Wright. The team created their name from the color of their uniforms, being orange, blue and white, plus identifying with the popular soft drink of the time, Orange Crush.