Who’s Next?

With the 2012 Hall of Fame preliminary list announced,
Broncos fans ask the obvious. 

The Broncos are on a roll!  In 2004, after 45 years of existence, John Elway
became the first Bronco inducted in the Hall of Fame. Four years later, tackle
Gary Zimmerman became the second. Then last year finally, The Franchise
Floyd Little. Now that Shannon Sharpe has bulldozed his bust into Canton’s
door, who will be the next eligible Bronco to sport the mustard jacket? 

Instead of blathering on with speculation and considering guys who are not
yet eligible (the Tom Nalens and Jason Elams, etc.), let’s cut to the chase by
asking the man who has presented Broncos to the Hall of Fame selection
committee since 2005, Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post.

“There are no real surprises when it comes to (eligible Broncos on the short list
for) the Hall of Fame,” says Legwold. “TD (Terrell Davis) has made the final 25
a few times. Then it’s the usual guys. (Karl) Mecklenburg, (Randy) Gradishar
and Louie Wright. (Steve) Atwater too, I think that’s the group.”

For fans not obsessed by the Hall of Fame, it’s necessary to clarify that Legwold
is speaking about two groups – seniors candidates and modern candidates.  

Seniors candidates are players who retired 25 years ago or more. In 2009,
Gradishar became a seniors candidate after failing to be elected in 2008, his last
year of eligibility as a modern candidate. This year Wright, who retired in 1986,
will join Gradishar as a seniors candidate, along with the black hole of hundreds
of older players that long to hear their names called. 

Modern candidates are those who retired 5 years ago or more. Davis became
eligible in 2007, Mecklenburg in 2000, and Atwater 2006.

As far as modern Broncos, Terrell Davis has the most momentum. He's made
the Hall of Fame’s 25 semifinalists list every year he’s been eligible – five straight
from 2007 through 2011. Yet, he’s failed to reach the list of 15 finalists, the ones
who get voted on by the Hall of Fame selection committee the day before the
Super Bowl.

Now that Legwold's to-do list no longer includes Sharpe, he can focus on Davis
and others. Of course, even with TD’s recognition so far by the committee, the
game’s greatest downhill runner faces an uphill battle due to his short career.   

Davis’s name has been mentioned numerous times to the selection committee
– the 44 voters. Yet, he has not been formerly presented or discussed. That only
happens when a candidate becomes one of the 15 finalists. The voters meet at
the Super Bowl the day before the big game and that team’s committee
representative presents him to the other 43 members.

One voter, Dave Goldberg, formerly of the AP, who now writes for AOL Fanhouse,
would like to see Davis discussed.

“I wouldn’t mind debating Davis,” says Goldberg, “simply based on three great years.
He's a guy who carried a team to two Super Bowls . . . I would definitely consider
him. I don’t know if he played long enough but that’s the hazards of being
a running back.”

When pro-Davis folks make a case for the former 6^th-round steal, they compare his
performance to Hall of Fame legend Gale Sayers. Like Davis, Sayers played only 7
seasons and only four of them were productive. Still Sayers retired with a 5.0
rushing average, and widely considered the best breakaway threat of his era.  

For years it's appeared that Sayer's nod by the Hall of Fame, despite the brief career,
was an isolated case.

Goldberg, however, points to Dolphins Hall of Fame center Dwight Stephenson who
got his ticket punched to Canton in 1998, despite playing 8 injury-prone seasons.
“It took a while for him to get in although a lot of people acknowledge that he was
probably the greatest center who ever lived.” 

Karl Mecklenburg is a candidate that is on some radar screens. A 12^th round pick
in 1983 (back when they had 12 rounds), Mecklenburg ironically played 12 seasons and
was elected to 6-Pro Bowls, named 1^st team All-Pro 3 times. He also was the 1986 AFC
Defensive Player of the Year. Mecklenburg was a relentless pass rusher who had 11
multiple sack games and finished with 79 career sacks. The knock on Mecklenburg,
however, is his pass coverage where he only had 5 career interceptions. 

Perhaps the one modern player that has the best chance to hurdle Davis into Canton first
is Steve Atwater – since there are only 7 pure safeties in the HOF.  Atwater was one of
the all-time best. So much that NFL Network named him the 9^th most feared hitter in
history. Who was 8^th? Jack Lambert. Ray Lewis was 7^th. That’s pretty scary company. 

Hall of Fame voter Howard Balzer believes he has a chance. “Atwater is an interesting
case,” he says. “It’s tough to get defensive backs in, but he’s one guy who’s certainly
worth discussing.”

Legwold says if there is one thing that could work against Atwater it’s his lack of
interceptions. “The one beef about him, if it is one, is that he’s way back in interceptions
compared to other safeties that are in. That’s one of the things, although it’s not
everything," says Legwold.

Atwater spent most of his time around the line of scrimmage stuffing the run, not 15 yards
off the line like most free safeties. He notched 24 interceptions over an 11-year career. But
also had over 1,000 career bone-rattling tackles and 5-straight seasons of 100-plus stops.    

Rod Smith, his first year of eligibility, was recently named to the preliminary ballot.
Though Broncos fans consider him one of the greatest Broncos ever, he faces an uphill
battle to get into Canton. Sure, he's the only undrafted receiver to ever surpass 10,000
career yards (11,389). But he retired a distant 15^th all-time with 849 receptions and 16^th
in yards.  The point is there's a glut of incredible receivers not in the HOF. With longtime
candidates Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed still waiting to be enshrined and
other excellent receivers waiting in the wings, Smith may have to wait for years.

Dan Reeves also was named to this year's preliminary list. He guided the Broncos to

3 Super Bowls in 4 years, losing all of them. In 1998, he led the Atlanta Falcons to the

team's first Super Bowl appearance ever. He lost, of course, to his old team. Despite

those heartbreaking losses, Reeves was one of the greatest coaches of his generation.

His 190 career wins remains 8^th best in NFL history. In fact, Reeves still has 36 more

career wins than Mike Shanahan and more Ws than Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Bud

Grant and Joe Gibbs. If Marv Levy is in the HOF for losing 4 Super Bowls, then Reeves

should receive heavy consideration for doing the same. Unfortunately, even the Broncos

overlook his achievements. He's not even a member of the team's Ring of Fame.

Senior Candidates

After failing to get inducted in 2003 as one of the 15 finalists, then being snubbed the
next 5 years from the finalists list, Randy Gradishar was in his last year of eligibility
as a modern candidate in 2008. Perhaps because it was his last hurrah, he was named
to the 15 finalists again.

Legwold, who took over for Woody Paige as the Broncos Hall of Fame representative in
2005, knew the scuttlebutt regarding Gradishar's career. His tackle totals. Many voters
believe they are inflated.  Each team charts their own tackles, so voters are always leery
about the accuracy.

A 7-time Pro Bowler, 2-time 1^st team All-Pro, and 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the year,
Gradishar played in the Orange Crush's famed 3-4 predicated on linebackers making
tackles. As the main man in the middle, Gradishar had an astounding 2,049 tackles over
a 10-year career. That’s an average of over 200-tackles a year. As a comparison, 12-time
Pro Bowler Ray Lewis has averaged less than 100 tackles a season over 15 years. The voters
who do not believe Gradishar is deserving of football immortality question the huge
tackle numbers.

“They (the voters) want some kind of verification or something that explains the tackle
totals,” says Legwold. “So I brought in a lot of video work and talked to the coaches that
had tabulated the tackles. I brought in all their methodology, how they did it and what they
said and that they believed in their numbers. I brought all those things into the presentation.”

Still Legwold’s transparent attempt to overcome the objections wasn’t enough and Gradishar
did not get the votes. Through no fault of his own, Gradishar now is a senior candidate, one
of hundreds that have fallen into the abyss.

Cornerback Louie Wright is now in the same boat. A 1970s All-Decade selection, the 5-time
Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro was a true shutdown corner. The Broncos top pick in the 1975 draft,
Wright started as a rookie and few quarterbacks ever had success throwing to his side.

One selector clearly on Wright’s side is Rick Gosselin, who thought he should have made it as a
modern player. “I’m surprise an all-decade guy like him has never been discussed,” says Gosselin.
“I think if you’re picked as one of the best players of your era, you deserve to be discussed as one
of the best players of all time.”

So how do fans feel about Legwold's short-list of deserving Broncos?  A poll conducted on fan
site The Orange Mane in April declared Gradishar as the most deserving at 35%, followed by
Atwater 27% and Davis 26%. Mecklenburg received 4% of the votes, while Wright incredibly
did not get a single vote. The poll also gave the option of choosing "Someone else" which
received 8% of the votes. (Note: Rod Smith was not on the list since there was speculation
that he would not be eligible until 2014 because he officially retired in 2008.)

The Other Guy and the Older Guys

Missing from Legwold’s short list of modern players is one of the best Broncos ever – Ring
of FamerDennis Smith. He played 14 seasons, elected to 6 Pro Bowls. Former coach Mike
Shanahan once told John Lynch that Smith was the hardest-hitting player he ever saw.

When it comes to Hall of Fame worthy seniors candidates, the Broncos may have the most
in the NFL. Along with Gradishar and Wright, here are a few gems that deserve discussion:

Billy Thompson– the most versatile defensive back of his era.  From 1969-1981, the 6-2,
200-pound Thompson played cornerback, safety and returned kickoff and punt returns. He
remains the only player in NFL history to lead the league in both kickoff and punt returns in
the same season. The 3-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro was a leader of the famed Orange
Crush defense. A playmaker who intercepted 40 passes – 3 for TDs and recovered 21 fumbles
for a then-NFL record 4 TDs. Thompson retired having played more seasons and started
more games than any Bronco.

Rich Jackson– his career was short, but his impact remains legendary. Tombstone quite
simply was the best defensive end during a 5-year period, 1967-71. At 6-3, 255-pounds, Jackson
didn’t just sack quarterbacks he pulverized them including the tackles trying to block him.
Once after a 1968 game vs the Jets, coach Weeb Ewbank said wearily, “Jackson was giving us
fits… We just couldn't stop him. We just had to double team him and couldn't stop him." Knee
injuries forced him to retire after 7 seasons. But if Gale Sayers gets a HOF pass for his
spectacularly short 7-year career, then why not consider the same for his equal on defense?

Tom Jackson– at 5-11, 220 pounds, probably the fastest linebacker in Broncos history.
Jackson was a big talker and an even bigger playmaker. The 3-time Pro Bowler, 1^st team
All-Pro was an excellent pass rusher and a smooth pass defender who ran stride-for-stride
with backs. During a three-year period, 1976-78, Jackson intercepted 14 passes –3 for TDs.
He also was a ferocious tackler, who famously said to Raiders coach John Madden in a
game during their ’77 Super Bowl run, “Not today, Fat Man!”

Lionel Taylor -- A 4-time Pro Bowler and 4-time 1^st team All-Pro, Taylor led the AFL in
receptions an incredible 4 straight years – and 5 times in 6 years! At 6-2, 215 pounds, he was
the first professional receiver in any league to notch 100 receptions in one season. Taylor
also caught more passes than Hall of Famers Lance Alworth or Kellen Winslow and had four
1,000-yard seasons. Hall of Famer Charley Taylor had just one 1,000-yard season.

Goose Gonsoulin– At 6-3, 210 pounds, Gonsoulin was ahead of his time. He was an
intimidating presence named to 5 Pro Bowls (AFL All-Star game) and 2 All-Pro teams. He
led the league in interceptions as a rookie in 1960 with 11 picks. In his first six seasons with
Denver, Gonsoulin intercepted an amazing 43 passes and became the Broncos all-time leader
for 20 seasons. 

Behind the Hall of Fame Curtain

The Hall of Fame process has always been one of frustration for NFL fans and Broncos fans
in particular. For decades Broncos players have been snubbed when it comes to induction.
There's a perceived east-coast bias, which Hall of Fame voters deny, but when looked closely
it appears valid. Of the 44 voters, 17 reside on the east coast. That's nearly 40 percent. The
reality is only 1 voter is from the Rocky Mountain time zone.

One way to try and solve east-coast bias is to expand the number of voters. That's something
Gosselin favors, but not to the Broncos benefit.

"I’d like to see every state that has more than one team get another representative," says
Gosselin. "I’d like to see Florida get another one, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania. I think
we have ample representation now in New York. California is another one. I think the panel
could use some better balance."

Another knock against the Hall of Fame is its perceived secrecy. The bylaws decree that none
of the voters can ever talk about what is said during presentations or how people vote. To
borrow from Winston Churchill, it's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Even
the voters don't know who they elect until the announcement is made live on television.

Fans and critics have asked for the votes to be made public. Numerous voters have said they
would be happy to have their votes be transparent including Goldberg, Ira Miller and others.
Joe Horrigan, director of communications for the hall of fame, says there's a reason why
presentations and voting are not made public.

"It’s not a matter of transparency, it’s a matter of protecting their ability to say frankly what
they feel," says Horrigan. "It encourages good honest debate, which would be stifled in my
opinion if we start divulging that type of information. Because then no one will speak."

But what about accountability?  By creating a veil of secrecy, voters have no one to answer to.
They meet, hear presentations, discuss candidates, then a secret vote is cast and viola -- the
Hall of Fame class is announced while thousands of fans scratch their heads and ask, "How
did he get in?"

Nowhere is the lack of accountability more questionable than with the Seniors Committee.
There are 9 voters on the committee who vote for 2 nominees from a list that begins at over
100. Unlike the list for modern players, the 25 seniors semifinalists and 15 finalists are not
made public. Once the 15 seniors finalists are determined, 5 of the 9 voters head to Canton
to nominate 2 seniors candidates. They bring in 2 Hall of Famers to discuss the candidates,
give them questionnaires to fill out. Then the Hall of Famers exit stage left and the
5 writers vote.

Many times the 2 seniors nominees seem to be players that come from nowhere.

"Sometimes you go in thinking one thing then you go totally off the wall, like the year we
nominated Fritz Pollard and Bennie Friedman," says Goldberg about the 2005 seniors
nominees, both long deceased. 

"Sometimes there’s some sentiment, like Dick LeBeau. There was a groundswell about his
coaching but he got in as a player, which I think he deserved." 

It's been brought up numerous times that Hall of Famers, the greats who actually played
the game, should have a vote. Something Goldberg calls "silly" because he believes they're
too subjective. As if writers aren't ever subjective?

Still, for all the grief the voters get from fans and critics, none are paid a dime extra to be
on the committee. Gosselin believes there will always be dissention with the process no
matter what changes are made because someone's favorite player will always be left out.

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