When it comes to the Denver Broncos and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, arguments often erupt as to who should be the next orange-and-blue-wearing warrior to receive a gold jacket.
One name that is consistently brought to mind as a fan favorite is “Orange Crush” leader, linebacker Randy Gradishar. Every single player with similar statistical careers as Gradishar already holds a pedestal in the Hall of Fame gallery in Canton, Ohio. Yet, Gradishar has continued to fall short of the required votes needed for a bronze bust.
Last week, the Hall of Fame announced a significant change, one that could alter the fate of Gradishar’s consideration: instead of two senior members that have been selected, (one player and one contributor), there will now be three names up for Hall of Fame contention in the ‘senior’ category for the next three years.
“Members of the selection committee have made it clear they wanted to get more seniors ‘in the room’ for discussion,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said, via Clark Judge of Sports Illustrated. “[T]he team at the Hall of Fame… worked with the board to create a path for those committee discussions that could lead to possible enshrinement for more seniors.”
This does not mean that three players will always be selected for enshrinement. Three is the maximum number that could be enshrined during this short period of time.
However, this change is a brighter ray of hope to right wrongs for players across the NFL who often waited dutifully for several years to hear a ‘knock’ that never came.
A knock that could soon become available for one of Denver’s most recognized and most beloved names in franchise history.
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