Former Denver Bronco and current Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Randy Gradishar recently spoke out about the significance of the 2024 Enshrinement Week on deck in Canton.
“It’s very exciting for sure,” Gradishar told media members in Denver earlier this week. “I’m very nervous and just getting ready from getting there — we’ll be leaving on Wednesday. Once we’re there, they [have] you going 12, 14 hours a day doing all kinds of different things. Getting ready for the game, getting ready for your speech and all those kinds of different things along with trying to say hello to some of your friends and family.
“It’s going to be an exciting time and it’s exciting for me because I’m from the area — born and raised in Warren Champion, Ohio, which is about 40 miles from Akron and Canton. I always passed it when I went down to Ohio State. I always went through Akron and Canton. [I’m] looking forward to that and looking forward to finding out how many more Buckeyes are still there.”
Gradishar hung up his cleats in 1983, and he had a long wait to reach Canton. Fittingly, the number of years he waited to reach the Hall of Fame have a connection to his jersey number.
“I asked the Lord — I said why does it take 35 years for this, and I turned it around and it was ‘53,’ my number,” Gradishar said. “It took 35 years for whatever reason in order for me to be chosen to come into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Prior to his election, Gradishar’s Hall of Fame resume was reminiscent of several current Hall of Famers, such as Chuck Bednarik, Dick Butkus, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis.
Gradishar is the first member of the famed “Orange Crush” defense of the late 1970s to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Gradishar shared his elation that he was the first member of the unit to be inducted, and the hope that others will follow.
“Finally, the ‘Orange Crush’ is being recognized and I hope through my induction that other guys here in the near future — their names will be coming up and they will be able to have the opportunity to possibly be nominated and come in as a part of that ‘Orange Crush’ defense.”
Gradishar will be presented by fellow Broncos Ring of Famer Tom Jackson.
The Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will take place on Aug. 3.
