Two Broncos made the list of finalists for the 2008 Hall of Fame class … but Terrell Davis was shut out for a second consecutive year.
Both Gary Zimmerman and Randy Gradishar are among the 17 finalists whose names will be discussed by the selection committee in Phoenix, Ariz. on Feb. 2, the day before Super Bowl XLII. Each has gotten this far before, with Zimmerman being a staple of recent finalist collections, making the list for the fifth time.
Gradishar, meanwhile, is back among the finalists for the first time in five years. This is the 18th year in which he has been eligible.
Davis was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in September, but was passed over Wednesday as no running backs made the cut as the list was trimmed from 26 semifinalists to the last 17.
There are two first-time finalists on this year’s list — defensive back Emmitt Thomas, who is one of the two Seniors Committee nominees, and offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, who was a teammate of Zimmerman’s in Minnesota from 1988-92.
Tags: Gary Zimmerman, Hall of Fame, Terrell Davis
I Have to believe that this is the year for Gradisher and Zimmerman. The Hall of Fame committee has gotten a lot of slack over the past year for the lack of Broncos inducted into the hall. I also believe that TD will get in, not sure when it will be, but I think he will make it.
Ok, don’t get me wrong I’m somewhat thrilled that 2 more Broncos are one step closer to the HOF but the committee is dumber than a door knob to leave out Davis, AGAIN!!! I was so sure this was the year and its making me sick to my stomach to think they keep blowing him off. He was just as good of a player as Elway was and he deserved to get to the HOF the first year he was eligible, like Elway. Again, I’m excited for Gradishar & Zimmerman but Davis is getting ripped off… and because of that, I’m furious. He was the MVP in the 1st Superbowl we won, he had one heck of a career – why the committee isn’t selecting him is beyond me. I hope at least one or even both can make it in, they deserve it too. I’m actually quite speechless about this, I just don’t get the reason for their madness. Bah, I’m just really confused as to why they wouldn’t pick Davis :shakes head in complete confusion:
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
I agree that Davis deserves to get in, but it’s going to take some time. His numbers aren’t the greatest for a career, but when he was healthy he was untouchable. Zimmerman not getting in already is a friggin’ joke. I wasn’t around to watch Grad play, I wasn’t old enough to grasp the game but I remember hearing about how great he was. Tackles galore! It’s a damn shame that thre’s only one Bronco in the HOF. The Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals have more players then Denver….WTF???
It’s a shame about TD. We are going to hear all the tired excuses about how his career was not long enough, but there is no disputing he was the best running back….nay, the best player…in the NFL for at least 4 of the seasons he played. I believe he is the only player to rush for 2,000 yards who is not in the HOF (other than Jamal Lewis, obviously). I have no doubt he will get in eventually, but it’s really disheartening to see him shut out two years in a row….
Are Davis’ chances of getting in skewed by the Broncos’ inate ability to plug in any backfield and get reasonable yardage? It seems that the entire league, including most Bronco fans place most of the credit for the other runners on the system. I wonder if the voters do the same for Davis?
i wanna know why randy hasn’t made it yet. the man’s got like 2000 tackles. he played before the brian urlachers and ray lewis type players too. WTH. in my book, if you rack up 2000 tackles over like 15 years, youre IN
Heck I don’t think Randy will ever get in. He played in Denver and that seem’s to be a curse. Heck I think if Tom Jackson didn’t play in Denver he would either be in or at least mentioned. Aren’t the Broncos in the top five as far as winningest franchises go??? And we have only John in th HOF. Zimmerman,Shlereth, Nalen when he retires. Not to mention guys like Studdard, TD??? Every time I watch a replay of TD he’s just a BEAST!!!!! They had no answer! Rod Smith won’t get a nod if a guy like Art Monk can’t get in. Rulon Jones, Keith Bishop, Dennis Smith???? Not even a mention!!@#$%^
P.S………..I don’t think Davis’ numbers are skewed by a system.Sure we have 1000yrd rushers every year. But NO-ONE is scared to face any of the backs we’ve had since Terrell.1,200 yrds is a long way from 1,500-2,000
Well, I looked over the finalist list and the odds of either Randy or Garry are very slim. They way I see it shoe-ins are Darrell Green (One of the best cornerbacks ever with a lengthy career), Art Monk (He should have been a 1st ballot HOF. When he retired he was first in receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions. Plus, ESPN keeps blathering on how much he deserves it.), Emmett Thomas (There are two old-timer nominees. One will make it. He’s the most likely.), Richard Dent (Should have been in years ago.), Ray Guy (He redefined the art of punting.). There can be a maximum of 6 inductees. I’ve listed 5. It will be real interesting when Shannon is elected to ther HOF and what her might say about how many Broncos have been screwed.
TD HOF? Not going to happen. He’ll be the first to tell you that his career was too short.
Want an idea how badly Gary Zimmerman is being screwed by the HOF? There have beenn only 7 players elected to 2 All Decade Teams. SIX were elected on the first or second ballot. This is the Z man’s 5th or 6th!!!! What an absolute farce!!!!!!
Randy will eventually be elected, but only by the Old timers Committee. He doesn’t have big named personality pushing buttons for him.
I have never seen a better goal line defender than Randy, no-one in the NFL had more tackles in the NFL during the decade he played, he played 145 games “straight”.
“He is the best linebacker I ever coached”…….Woody Hayes
When he was a senior at Ohio state, the total points scored against his defense ? 64
As the leader of the Orange Crush defense ? opponents averaged 10 points a game.
If it was first and goal against the Bronco’s and Gradishar was playing, you better warm up the kicker, you just got Randys attention.
Grad, Zim and TD definatly deserve to go in the hall. as the person above mentioned. “He is the best linebacker I ever coached”–Woody Hayes.i really hope one of them or more get in but Im not going to be surprized if they all get snubbed again. one more question. If Zim gets in will he goes in as a Bronco or Viking??
You would put Ray Guy in ahead of Gradishar ?
Why not put in Pele while your at it.
In regards to TD, what the media doesn’t seem to grasp is that TD was the best “big game” back the game has ever known.
In the postseason, you go against the very best run defenses in the NFL.
If you take TD’s postseason numbers, against the best run defenses, translate them into the regular season, he would have been the first 2500 yard back in the game.
The media just doesn’t get it.
I just do not understand how a punter made it this far…
Don’t get me wrong, i would love if we had a punter who could consistently put the oppenent inside their 15 yd line, but i’d much rather have a guy who put up 2000 tackles in 15 years or one of the best tackles to ever play. While I’m on the subject, why is Atwater never even mentioned for HOF recognition? Take a look at the run defense numbers of the Broncos before and after his arrival, it is a pretty significant increase. Also, he has somewhere in the neighborhood of 1400 tackles in his 10 year career. John Lynch has fewer tackles and has played in the league for a longer duration, and people always talk how he is going to be a shoe-in for the HOF. Probably because most of his career was with a team that was not called “Broncos”.
I am now officially on one of my patented rants.
Just one more time, allow me to get this straight….
A “guy” that swings his leg 3-5 times a game….
Deserves the Hall of Fame MORE than..
A “man” that played defense, for 4 quarters a game, 145 games straight, feared by every offense in the NFL and was the very best at stopping people in the red zone.
If Ray Guy gets in ahead of Randy Gradishar they might as well call it the “Raider” pro football Hall of Fame.
Put in Gradishar and Zimmerman, only if the latter agrees to be inducted as a Bronco. Hopefully, this paves the way for stalwarts such as Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith, and perhaps Steve Atwater in subsequent years. While the Hall of Fame is a marvelous place and definitely worth going out of the way on the 90 en route to Pittsburgh and Buffalo from Cleveland, there needs to be more Broncos.
I guess by the standards superfan21 and superchop7 set Jason Elam doesn’t deserve HOF since he only “swings his leg 3-5 times a game”. How important was Ray Guy? Just compare the statistics of what percentage of 80 yard drive resulted in a TD versus the percentrage of 70 yard drives. Remember special teams is still 1/3 of ther game.
But, back to Jason Elam and whether or not he’ll deserve to be in the HOF when he retires. Consider these facts:
1) Most years 100 points or more; 16 and counting
2) Most consecutive years 100 points or more, 16 and counting
3) Most points scored for one team
4) Longest field goal.
5) Most consecutive PATs, over 300
There’s only one thing left for Jason to accomplish, 2000 points and he’s only 2-3 seasons from that.
Randy was my favorite bronco when i first became a fan….Zimmerman and Randy deserve HOF….Of course I think Td deserves it, but we all know he won’t get in….Well If Steve Watson or a Steve Atwater haven’t recieved their votes i…TD’s Chance is slim…..Dennis Smith..Why he hasn’t got his due….i can think of more broncos who deserve it…..TD?….don’t think so..he only matters to us….What he did for us only matter to us…So thats why he has been honored by being placed in the ring of fame….
randy gradishar, now that’s a name i remember from my early years as a bronco fan. i don’t remember watching him play or the impact he had on the team, i only remember his name being mentioned over and over again on telecasts. i do remember when zimmerman came over from the vikings and the instant impact he had on the team. zimmerman was outstanding! in typical OL fashion , he will probably be passed up again but i sure hope not. he and that arrogant announcer guy who played left offensive tackle (old what’s his name) defined the position and the broncos will not be world champions again until they get a player of that caliber at that position again, mark my words!
every bronco fan who saw him play loves TD and he’d be in the HOF already if injury hadn’t shorten his career. I hope that whether or not he gets in does not diminish his accomplishment or the love bronco fans have for him. In my mind i can still see him running right bowling over all that stood in his path. He may end up being the best player that never makes it to the HOF but i sure hope he get there.
go broncos!
oldsouthstander, their is a pretty big difference between the role of a kicker and a punter on a football team, don’t try to compare the two. I guarantee that elam has put more points up for his team than Ray Guy has taken away from his opponents by punting well. And do not even try to say a punter has rights over an outstanding linebacker for HOF recognition. If you were a coach, who would you gameplan against? Its probably not the punter.
The real sin is that Atwater hasn’t gone in. Save for perhaps Ronnie Lott for the first few years, Steve was the most feared player in the game for a full decade in the 90′s. Opposing teams would devise their offensive game plan around him, and not a receiver in the league would run a crossing pattern with him on the field. Yeah, his interception numbers aren’t outstanding, but that’s partially because teams wouldn’t throw the ball anywhere near him for fear they’d lose a receiver. Vote him in for crying out loud!!!
I don’t care if the opposition started from our 10 yard line…….in fact…..with Gradishar on the field….I looked forward to it.
Can Ray Guy go in ? Sure.
“Ahead” of Gradishar…….no.
The Raiders seem to be able to put people in at will, the favoritism needs to end.
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