Broadway was born April 9, 1955, in Oakboro, North Carolina, and attended West Stanly High School.

A 1977 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Broadway played on the defensive line from 1974 to 1977.

In 2017, Broadway's NCA&T Aggies capped off a perfect season defeating the once-beaten Grambling Tigers in the Celebration to win another black national title.

[1] While Broadway's background, as a coach and as a player, is rooted in defense, his teams at North Carolina Central and Grambling State were known for their explosive offenses.

In June 2004, Broadway's wife, Dianne, died after 14 years of battling scleroderma, a rheumatic disease of the connective tissues.