Mile High Report
Mike Shanahan aside, who should go in next?
Just a short 13-years ago, when I wrote this article, the Broncos Hall of Fame landscape looked vastly different than it does today. While the last decade hasn’t been great for Broncos football on the field, Denver’s representation in Canton has blossomed. ...Not that we should get complacent about our deserving players.
Here’s a list of eligible greats and their selection committee status:
The Dark Ages (1960-1975)
Lionel Taylor, WR [Senior Committee]
Rich Jackson, DE [Senior Committee]
Austin “Goose” Gonsoulin, S [Senior Committee]The Orange Crush (1976-1980)
Randy Gradishar, ILB [Senior Committee]
Tom Jackson, OLB [Senior Committee]
Billy Thompson, S [Senior Committee]
Louis Wright, CB [Senior Committee]The Reeves Era (1981-1994)
Dennis Smith, S [Eligible for Standard Selection until 2019]
Karl Mecklenberg, OLB/ILB [Eligible for Standard Selection until 2019]
Dan Reeves, Coach [Eligible for Standard Selection until 2028]The Shanahan Age (1995-Present)
Steve Atwater, S [Eligible for Standard Selection until 2024]
Terrell Davis, RB [Eligible for Standard Selection until 2027]
This is the list of eligible and deserving players as it existed in 2012. The “Dark Ages” is a tough period to pull a HOFer since, like in recent history, they were just awful to watch. Last year, the Orange Crush defense got a nod with Randy Gradishar finally getting his due recognition. Unfortunately, like Coach Dan Reeves, the Broncos are underrepresented for those 80’s AFC Championship teams. The “Shanahan Age” is probably the best news on the list with both having made it.
With the additions of Terrell Davis (2017), Champ Bailey (2019), Pat Bowlen (2019), Steve Atwater (2020), Peyton Manning (2021), John Lynch (2021), Demarcus Ware (2023), and finally Randy Gradishar (2024) there’s a lot of bronze in Canton that represents Denver well (Yes, I’ll even count John Lynch among them).
If you had to add to this list, say a “Post Kubiak Era,” whom would you add? Von Miller is a slam dunk, but who else? The problem with lean decades like the Broncos just endured and like they went through in the 1960’s is that great players are hard to come by when the team stinks. Anyone else deserving come to mind? How would you define the eras since Shanahan?
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