John Elway admits it still takes some getting used to.

This transition from quarterback to football executive. As he was putting together a Hall of Fame career as the Broncos’ quarterback, Elway enjoyed the playoffs.

His job now is putting together the Broncos’ roster that defeated the San Diego Chargers in the second-round of the playoffs last week, a victory that put his team in the AFC championship game Sunday against the New England Patriots.

His current position is less enjoyable come playoff time.

“It’s very different,” Elway said Thursday during a roundtable discussion with several local and national writers in the Broncos’ upstairs conference room. “It takes some getting used to. I enjoy watching the regular-season games, but I was absolutely miserable last week watching this game. It took me four hours to get the pit out of my stomach when it was over. It’s not nearly as much fun upstairs as it is down on the field, especially these championship games and the playoffs.

“But I’m also proud of being a part of it. Being able to help put the team together, put the coaches together and the personnel side, for everything to come together. There is more of a quiet pride than it is being a quarterback when everybody is patting you on the back.”

Was that pit especially large on third-and-17?

“Yes,” he said. “It started growing about the middle of the third quarter. It felt pretty good at halftime.”

In the middle of the third quarter, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. This past week, Elway signed cornerback Marquice Cole.

It’s been three years almost to the day since Elway was hired by owner Pat Bowlen to take control of the Broncos’ football department. The team he inherited was coming off a 4-12 season that led to the dismissal of coach and football operations boss Josh McDaniels.

In the three years since, the Broncos have won three AFC West titles and advanced to the playoffs’ second round — the NFL’s Elite Eight — all three years. This is the first time that Elway the executive has reached the Final Four. In the AFC championship, Elway’s Broncos will play a Pats team that has McDaniels as offensive coordinator.

When Elway took over the front office, he anticipated the challenges of rebuilding a roster. He did not anticipate so many crisis coming across his large desk.

“Uh, no,” Elway said. “No. But when you have problems,being a good leader is taking care of those and making sure everyone feels comfortable that when the house is on fire that we go ahead and take care of our business and realize there’s a solution to this and we’ll get through this. I’ve tried to be that rock on the front side, saying we’ll get it covered, we’ll get it handled.”

His problems started early in the offseason when his top two assistants, Matt Russell and Tom Heckert, were arrested on drunk driving charges, then his star defensive player, Von Miller, was suspended for violating the league’s drug policy.

“Both those ruined my summer,” Elway said. “I remember where I was sitting when I got both those phone calls.

“But I’m proud of the outcome. I’m proud of the way the team has played and kept the focus. The leadership on the football team as well the coaching staff has been tremendous and keeping mentally tough and dealing with different situations we’ve had this year.”

Although the Broncos were 13-3 and the No. 1 seed each of the past two years, Elway said even before beating San Diego last week his team was better equipped for a successful playoff run this year.

“Last year everybody was building us up,” he said. “And sometimes that hurts you. This year I think there’s more of an underdog mentality for us in the fact that no one thought we were going to get by San Diego.”

Mike Klis: mklis@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikeklis