Denver has had many sports stars over the years. Some of them have been inducted into their respective sports Halls of Fame but this week one honor has been long overdue for one Denver sports star. Former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar. Gradishar was given the nod by the veteran’s committee this past week.
Gradishar was a standout at Ohio State where he played for coach Woody Hayes. He was the first-round draft pick of the Broncos in 1974. He played ten years for the Broncos. He was not flashy or a headhunter but a really good tackling machine with over 2000 tackles to his credit. He helped lead the Broncos in 1977 to its first ever Super Bowl. He helped put Denver sports on the map. He did it clean and with little fanfare. That is something that I think a lot of modern-day players should look at. Let your play on the field do the talking, and not be worried about if you make the highlight reel on Sportscenter. His contributions to the community during his playing days would deserve him man of the year honors in the modern era.
Many of Gradishar’s peers believed he should be in the Hall of Fame a long time ago. Many football writers wrote of Gradishar that he was underrated, but he may have been just as good or better than Pittsburg Steelers Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert. I got the pleasure of watching him as a child and he was one of the greatest linebackers I had ever seen, and his honor is long overdue as he and other members of that Orange Crush defense should also be in the Hall of Fame which I believe the next member should be linebacker Tom Jackson.
Congratulations Mr. Gradishar, a well-deserved honor and long overdue.
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