The semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012 were announced Tuesday, and three Broncos made the list.
Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis and Karl Mecklenburg are among the 26 modern-era candidates still in the running to head to Canton, Ohio.
For Atwater and Mecklenburg, it’s the first time the two have been named semifinalists.
Atwater was voted to a franchise record-tying seven consecutive Pro Bowls during his career, serving as a defensive leader on the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams.
Davis rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons, including his 2,008-yard season in 1998 when he earned league MVP honors. He also was part of the Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII squads.
Mecklenburg spent 12 seasons with the Broncos, starting 141 career games, a total that includes all 16 games in a year during five different campaigns. He played in six Pro Bowls and helped the Broncos reach the postseason seven times, including three Super Bowl berths.
All three players are Broncos Ring of Famers.
The next step in the process sees the list shortened to 15 modern-era finalists with an announcement in January.
The final class will be named at the Hall of Fame Selection Committee’s annual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 4, in Indianapolis the day before Super Bowl XLVI.
-Gray Caldwell
Tags: Karl Mecklenburg, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis
Yes! Atwater! Hoping he makes the next cut
TD to the House!
If Atwater played in today’s game he would be paying fines every single week. Lucky for him he played in an error that wasn’t so soft.
So true, HOF, Atwater would need to renegotiate his contract to have the team cover the fines.
All 3 are deserving to be in there.
Surprised no word on whether or not Reeves is still on the list of possible ins or are the coaches done differently?
Good for Atwater and Meck to make the semis for the first time, won’t hold my breath though, Gradishar never made it why would they, just saying, life isn’t fair in Canton when you’re a Bronco.
It’s all a process. Definitely don’t expect them to be inducted this year. Just hopefully inching closer and closer.
Orton waived..
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8245f614/article/broncos-waive-orton-clearing-way-for-tebow-for-rest-of-season?module=HP11_breaking_news
Yea the Orton news was hashed out pretty good 2 blogs ago
So three Broncos in finalist for 2012 HOF Atwater, Meck, and TD. SWEET!
The Gradishar snub will never make sense to me either. I’m wondering if it is because of the number of great linebackers in the past. Seems like the safety position might be an easier spot to crack.
I`d like to see 2 of three Broncos players make the final 15 in january.
Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis and Karl Mecklenburg
Great list! All three deserveto be in Canton.
After what TD did in 1998 with over 2,000 yards, you`ve got to vote him in you`d think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM0UiDPKN7E
Atwater is one of my all time favorite Broncos. And you can`t leave out Meck. What to do, what to do?
Oh heck, vote them all in!
Randy Gradishar should have been voyed in over ten years ago. It makes me sick to my stomach that he got snubbed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0VanenvUg&feature=related
Must watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTza50UcbGo
All three of those guys should already be in canton, truth be told.
Voted.
I looked over the list of the 26 semifinalists and it doesn’t look good for the Broncos chances.
Should definitely get in:
Jerome Bettis
Cris Carter (He should have been in several years ago.)
Wille Roaf (one of the all time best tackles)
Bill Parecells
That leaves one spot for either Atwater or TD.
Sure looks like a “wait until next year” to me.
Just curious, how many of the regular bloggers honestly thought after 3 or 5 weeks into the season that in week 12 we would be ranked #15 on the NFL rankings? Kinda ironic…….#15 with # 15 at quarterback. Hope TD gets in the hall of fame he deserves it.
Hate to bring up old news. The reason behind Orton’s release is this, They talked to Orton on Mon about a so called Orton package. Orton said he didn’t want to be used as a gimick and declined to play. He said he would only play as the starter. So today he was cut. Good move!!!
Go Broncos! These guys deserve to be in the hall as much as anyone!
Guess he wasn’t about the team just about himself after all.
Big difference between Orton and Tebow, Tim was willing to ANYTHING to help the team win obviously not the case with Orton.
My take on the Orton thing …
Orton just wanted out of here – he knows he has no future here … why try to resurrect it … he’d sure like to play for a team that’s not all gimmick related … most people who comment on the NFL for a living still think Orton’s better than Tebow … I don’t know … but it’s for sure that everyone has an opinion … it’s just hard to deny that the league has evolved as it has as a “pocket passing quarterback with mobility league” …
For the Broncos, it’s assumed that they stand to save something like $2.5M … I assume they felt that there were enough teams REALLY looking for an experienced quarterback that Orton would be claimed … I don’t know how the $$ goes to them re: claimed off waivers versus not claimed and picked up as free-agent … do they get off the hook for the $$ both ways?? …
Remember that day when they finally got rid of Orton? It was a really good day! Tebow Tuesday! It shall be remembered in Bronco folklore for generations….. lol.
Glad to see some Broncos make the top 26. Would love to see all 3 of them go in, but at least they are getting recognition in being nominated. Like Chevy, Bronco Country runs deep. Get that bust gentlemen!
That story about asking Orton to go for an “Orton package” sounds fishy … they may have given him the option of doing something like that or getting put on waivers, and of course he chose the latter … and of course he’s thinking of himself – wouldn’t you considering the circumstances?? … I sure would … he’d like to be in a place where he has a future … of course, if he goes back to Chicago, his future is about what it is here … such is the life of a pro quarterback … given all that’s going on – and the treatment he’s received here – it just makes sense for him … just ask yourself – from all the vitriol that’s appeared on this blog for which he did nothing to deserve – why would he want to do anything “for us fans”?? … geez – you’d think we were NYC …
orton has no future with any team. glad hes gone. tebow was willing to do a packagea and be a receiver. orton was selfish. doesnt deserve to be a bronco.
Wiemin, Orton has about $2.58 million left to be paid on his $8.89 million salary this year. If no team claims Orton by 2 p.m. tomorrow, the Broncos will remain responsible for that money. A team claiming Orton on waivers would pay that remaining salary.
i still say martz’s system is too hard to learn in a few weeks. they need to win now. their back up is better anyways. he gave them a chance in the championship to win agaist gb.
I wouldn’t be so quick at taking 007 word as the gospel until I hear another source stating the same, just saying, 007 can come up with some pretty fantastic stories at times but they are usually backed up by no other sources, like this one, no one has even remotely gone there.
only mcd could give orton a extension on his contract. and just like that mcd is still screwing us without being here.
Don’t be so quick at dismissing the Bears being interested in Orton:
Orton and his agent David Dunn had started talking to Broncos officials about the move after it was learned Chicago Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a broken thumb on his right passing hand Sunday that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season.
Once again I believe this is the case of the organization being nice to its players, cutting ties with Orton to give him a shot elsewhere because I don’t think he will be picked on waivers saving the Broncos money, rather teams will wait for the waiver deadline to pass and get him on the cheap.
The end result would be everything worked out great for Orton and horribly for Bowlen. It’s pretty sad even so it’s great to see him gone, we got to get better at running the business.
Only 3 players in NFL history with 9.5 sacks in the their first 10 games…
Derrick Thomas, Julius Peppers and Von Miller!!!
Have I told you how much this guy makes me smile… almost as much as Atwater did!!!
TD = Enough Said… He gets in sooner than later but maybe not this year
The Orton package is the stupidest thing I ever heard of…jmho
I heard Bill Cower suggest that and thought to myself “that’s not smart, I’m sure glad Cower isn’t our coach”.
At leas Orton had the stones to stand up to that idiocy… If it’s true tht they asked him to do that?
I guess we’ll be hearing about the Quinn package next…? bay’s gonna love that play….. lol
http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/nfl_today/PvD_fhwefSEeGhqHjfXkRIgvqVktvNGX
Fox about the deal:
“This was the right decision for our football team. We feel good about our quarterback group, and this gives Kyle an opportunity to help another team and showcase his talents.”
The only thing that could make it the right decision for the team as he says is they must have someone in mind to take that roster spot now, that’s all I see.
The Orton package is done being wrapped up and shipped out of town
The Quinn package is in the process of being wrapped up and shipped out of town
Happy to read about all the south Dakota connections on the previous blog.lots of Bronco fans in western SD not so many on the east side of the state mostly Viking fans back there. Lifelong resident my self.
Gotta love how Shannon Sharpe says it like it is and I happen to agree 100% with him on this one:
“I commend Coach Fox for going with this offense that fits Tebow. I don’t know too many coaches that would do that. But in this offense, once Tebow is outside the pocket, he’s a runner. Now the rules that protect Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady don’t apply to him.”
Yes, but won’t Tebow’s size, which is proportioned like a fullback or H-back, enable him to withstand the pounding while the slightly built Michael Vick cannot?
“Earl Campbell was big enough, wasn’t he?” Sharpe said about the Hall of Fame running back whose career was cut short by so much physical punishment. “This game has become so violent, every team has two running backs. That’s how physical the game has become.
“Even Adrian Peterson, the purest of the running backs, he comes out on third down. You’ve got to have a two-back system now.”
That means for the Broncos to carry on with this offense long term, they need to have at least two Tebows.
That’s why I have been saying here that if we keep Tebow we need to look into drafting Griffin III early next year.
indeed about south dakota thing. I hear people out in vegas say they have never met anyone from sd before.when I tell them I was born there, they laugh and say but your from vegas… when I go to visit I get the same reaction from family.lol
Bay… what round draft pick would you be comfortable using on a guy like Griffen?
I really feel that if the draft were today he would be available in the second rd…
interesting thing about playing tebow. it is a huge risk and when I stop letting emotions cloud judgment I realize that fox and co are really digging deep and finding unique ways to utilize him. proving once and for all there is no tebow conspiracy, they just want to win period. as long a we keep winning the high risk pay off is worth it. it wont last long term as many know, so every game I am watching tebow under a micro scope, waiting for the inprovments he has to make.something to hold onto. it will come I believe but the small things need to happen now.
since orton was a captain, does this mean that tebow or somebody else gets voted in?
Griffin may fall to the second but no guarantee, some have him in the first, Elway has a plan though, so I’m not worried.
Anyway, nice evening, nice folks, was pleasurable, see you in the am.
Bay you have seemed to turn the corner on the Elway in the Bronco office thing. Am I reading that right or are you sticking with your concerns about the GM and Elway?
If the Broncos didn’t have a plan in place for Orton, I continue to be worried about the business end of the Broncos.
Curious – I was on the road – did orang respond to my apology? I didn’t expect his response to be appropriate but I had to perform my due diligence.
Orang got the BOOT BOOT…