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Published on 01/11/2013 at Fri Jan 11 10:50.
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Davis, Atwater, Lynch Snubbed by HOF… Again

Posted Fri Jan 11th by

Once again, deserving Denver Broncos have been snubbed from Pro Football Hall of Fame voting.

It took decades to get Floyd Little in.  Years to get Shannon Sharpe in.  Will the players below ever get into the HOF?

On Friday, the 17 finalists for the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame class were announced.  Not among those finalists were Terrell Davis, John Lynch and Steve Atwater.  (Neither was Karl Mecklenburg, but that is understandable.)

Down the road, cornerback Champ Bailey will easily walk into the Hall of Fame. Quarterback Peyton Manning will go in (likely as a Colt) and safety Brian Dawkins will be a candidate (like Manning, however, he will be remembered as an Eagle).

But there are seven other former Broncos that should also be given more consideration.

  • Former center Tom Nalen won two Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and played in five Pro Bowls. Six different running backs have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Nalen and the Broncos’ offensive line.
  • Former linebacker Randy Gradishar played in seven Pro Bowls, was a five-time first-team All Pro selection, the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year and was a member of the Broncos’ Orange Crush defense that led the team to Super Bowl XII.
  • Former running back Terrell Davis is tied with Emmitt Smith for the most 100-yard playoff games in NFL history (seven).  Smith played in 17 playoff games.  Davis played in eight.  Davis also rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season, won two Super Bowls and a pair of MVP awards.  In our book, TD was the greatest postseason back in NFL history.
  • Former safety John Lynch was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, a Super Bowl champion and four-time All Pro.  He also totaled 490 tackles from 2001-2007.
  • Former safety Steve Atwater was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time first-team All Pro, a two-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the 1990s All-Decade team.  Atwater also totaled over 1,000 unofficial career tackles.
  • Former receiver Rod Smith and kicker Jason Elam won a pair of Super Bowls in Denver and became eligible for the HOF in 2013.

Are these seven players deserving?  Do they belong in the HOF?  Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

  • http://www.facebook.com/originalninja Joey Baldwin

    It’s a crime the TD hasn’t been given the respect he deserves.

  • Pickles

    TD should have been selected years ago Atwater definately belongs. However us Denver fans are pretty familiar with the east and west media disrespect. It is pretty shameful that Denver has 2 Super Bowls 6 AFC Championships and people either deny our players the accolades they deserve or deny that Elway was the greatest of all time because he took teams places they would never have been without him.

  • AZDynamics

    Of all those snubbed, that most outrageous is that of Gradishar, IMO. One of the best interior linebackers EVER to play the game. He really needed two things to be in the HOF by now: be the MLB on a 4-3 (instead of 3-4) defense and play for an east (or west) coast team.

  • areferee

    Not sure why you believe Karl Mecklenburg also being snubbed is “understandable” but the east and left coast bias is alive and well, just like always.

    Eventually, our deserving stars will be admitted, but not until long after their eligibility should have them properly inducted.

  • http://www.facebook.com/aballes1 Anna Balles

    It”s ashamed these Superstars still officially havent been recorded in the HOF.But,in my eyes these Men are and always will be REMEMBERD as the greatestt moments in NFL history.GO BRONCOS!! From Corona,California.