Tag: Pro Football Hall of Fame

View all of the Broncos players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

After adding Randy Gradishar, how many former Broncos are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame now? Here’s the full list.

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar was announced as a member of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class on Thursday night.

So, how many players do the Broncos have in the Hall of Fame now? That depends on who you believe qualifies for the count.

There are obvious players — running back Floyd Little, quarterback John Elway, safety Steve Atwater, tight end Shanahan Sharpe, offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman, running back Terrell Davis and cornerback Champ Bailey are obvious Broncos Hall of Famers. That’s seven.

Quarterback Peyton Manning only played four years in Denver, but he won the AFC West in all four seasons and won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos. That’s eight. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, but he won his ring in Denver. Nine.

John Lynch won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but he, like Manning, played the final four years of his career with the Broncos — and he’s a member of the team’s Ring of Fame. Ten.

So Gradishar is essentially the 11th Denver player to reach Canton. There are others, though. Safety Brian Dawkins played three seasons with the Broncos. Cornerback Willie Brown played four seasons in Denver before a 12-year stint with the Oakland Raiders. Running back Tony Dorsett and cornerback Ty Law also spent one season each with the Broncos.

Additionally, late team owner Pat Bowlen was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2019. So there are at least a dozen members of the Hall of Fame who Broncos fans can claim as their own. Up next should be former coach Mike Shanahan, who was snubbed again by voters in 2023.

Here’s a quick list of every former Bronco in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Colts DE Dwight Freeney elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Dwight Freeney is officially a Hall of Famer.

Former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney was announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 on Thursday night.

In just his second time on the ballot, the feared pass rusher made it. He joins Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, Julius Peppers, Steve McMichael and Randy Gradishar as members of the Hall’s newest class.

“Dwight built himself into one of the game’s most feared pass rushers with his trademark spin move,” said Colts owner Jim Irsay in a statement. “He provided Colts fans with many thrilling moments as one of pro football’s all-time greats, and he truly deserves this honor.”

A finalist in each of his first two years on the ballot, Freeney had 125.5 sacks in his career, which ranks 18th on the official list. He was a three-time All-Pro first-team selection (2004, 2005, 2009) and a seven-time Pro Bowler (2003-2005, 2008-2011).

Thanks in large part to his legendary spin move, Freeney recorded double-digit sacks in seven seasons. He led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004 and was named to the All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

Former Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne did not make the final cut for the fifth year in a row. He has been a finalist each year he’s been on the ballot, so it’s very likely he will get in sooner rather than later.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be enshrined Saturday, Aug. 3 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

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Twitter reacts to Randy Gradishar being elected to Hall of Fame

Broncos great Randy Gradishar is finally going to the Hall of Fame! Here’s how Twitter/X reacted to the news 🙌

Finally!

After years of waiting, former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar has finally been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class.

Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to the news on Twitter/X.

90 photos of Pro Football Hall of Famer Julius Peppers

90 images from No. 90’s first-ballot Hall of Fame career.

On Thursday night, Carolina Panthers legend Julius Peppers was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class. He will soon become the only player enshrined in Canton to have spent the majority of his NFL career in Charlotte.

So, let’s celebrate No. 90 with 90 memorable images from what is now slated to be an immortalized football career.

Panthers great Luke Kuechly headlines 2025’s 1st-time eligibles for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Luke Kuechly could be the next great Panthers defender to reach Canton.

Julius Peppers probably won’t have to wait long for some more Carolina company in Canton.

With tonight’s announcement of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, we look ahead to next year—where the legacy of another legendary Carolina Panthers defender awaits. Headlining the list of first-time eligibles is Luke Kuechly, who fit just about as much as a linebacker can into an eight-year career.

The ninth overall pick of the 2012 draft hit the scene hard, earning that year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He’d also rack up the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year hardware, five first-team All-Pro nods, two second-team All-Pro nods, seven Pro Bowl selections and a spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

Also entering his first year of eligibility is former center Ryan Kalil, who played 12 of his 13 pro seasons in Charlotte. Kalil, who was a three-time NFC South champion and NFC champion alongside Kuechly, earned a pair of first-team All-Pro distinctions, a second-team All-Pro shout and five Pro Bowl selections of his own.

Here are a few more notable players who will join the ballot as well later this year:

  • RB Marshawn Lynch
  • QB Eli Manning
  • LB Clay Matthews II
  • RB Darren Sproles
  • OT Joe Staley
  • LB Terrell Suggs
  • S Earl Thomas
  • G Marshal Yanda
  • K Adam Vinatieri

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2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees include Julius Peppers, Devin Hester

Here are this year’s inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is where NFL legends live eternal, and this year’s class is as accomplished as it has been in recent years.

As part of Thursday night’s NFL Honors, this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class got recognized, which included legendary pass rusher Julius Peppers, all-time return specialist Devin Hester and elite linebacker Patrick Willis.

These new Pro Football Hall of Fame honorees will receive their gold jackets and see their new busts in August as they’re formally inducted into Canton’s hallowed hall.

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Take a look at the full list of 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees below.

Bears greats Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, Steve McMichael named to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Three Chicago Bears legends are officially on their way to football immortality.

Three Chicago Bears legends are officially on their way to football immortality. Return specialist Devin Hester, defensive end Julius Peppers, and defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael were all named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 during the NFL Honors night on Thursday. The three players will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, this August.

Hester goes into the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility after being a finalist the last two years. The legendary Bears return specialist changed the game when he was drafted in 2006, setting various records for both kickoff and punt returns throughout his career. The former All-Pro holds records for most career return touchdowns (20), most career punt return touchdowns (14), and most return touchdowns in a single season (6). He also made both the 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Teams. Hester played for the Bears from 2006 to 2013.

Peppers, meanwhile, spent the majority of his career with the Carolina Panthers but was a Bear for four seasons from 2010 to 2013. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2010 and made three Pro Bowls while with the Bears, helping lead them to the 2010 NFC Championship game. Peppers has the fifth-most sacks in NFL history with 159.5, 37.5 of which came with the Bears. He made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Last but not least, McMichael goes in as a senior member of the Hall of Fame. He was voted as a finalist over the summer and was all but guaranteed a spot in Canton. Now it finally comes to fruition. McMichael, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, spent 13 of his 15 years in the NFL with the Bears. McMichael totaled 92.5 career sacks, was named First-Team All-Pro twice and Second-Team All-Pro three times and played a crucial role on the 1985 Super Bowl defense. McMichael is now the sixth member of that vaunted team to make it to the Hall of Fame.

Hester, Peppers, and McMichael are joined by Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Randy Gradishar and Patrick Willis.

Fred Taylor not selected for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024

Fred Taylor was a finalist, but wasn’t selected as one of the five modern-era selections for the Class of 2024.

Jacksonville Jaguars great Fred Taylor was not among the five modern-era selections for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Taylor, 48, was a semifinalist for four years without reaching the finalist stage of the selection process. That changed this year when Taylor was one of 15 to be a finalist for the Class of 2024. Still, he didn’t get in as Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis, Devin Hester, and Julius Peppers were the five picked to be enshrined as modern-era selections later this year.

In 11 seasons with the Jaguars, Taylor racked up 11,271 rushing yards, 2,361 receiving yards, and 70 total touchdowns. He finished his career with two seasons with the New England Patriots, but managed only 424 rushing yards during that stint.

Taylor is 17th on the all-time rushing list behind 14 players already in the Hall of Fame and two — Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson — who undoubtedly will be soon.

The only Jaguars player to ever be enshrined in the Hall of Fame is offensive tackle Tony Boselli, the team’s first ever draft pick. Wide receiver Torry Holt, who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Rams before finishing with one year in Jacksonville, was also a finalist who didn’t earn a spot in the Class of 2024.

Taylor is eligible to be a modern-era nominee until 2035. Among the players who will be newly eligible in 2025 are linebacker Luke Kuechly, offensive lineman Marshal Yanda, and safety Earl Thomas.

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Broncos great Randy Gradishar elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Randy Gradishar, the leader of the Broncos’ famous ‘Orange Crush’ defense, has finally been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

It’s long overdue but now finally official: Randy Gradishar is a Hall of Famer.

Gradishar has been elected as a member of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, the league announced during NFL Honors on Thursday night.

A seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Gradishar was the leader of the Denver Broncos’ famous “Orange Crush” defense that led the team to their first Super Bowl (XII in 1977). One year later, Gradishar won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Broncos credit Gradishar with 2,049 career tackles, 19.5 sacks, 20 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries and four defensive touchdowns during his 10-year career in the NFL.

Gradishar was a finalist three other times before finally being elected as a senior candidate this year. He will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio in August.

He becomes the 10th* former Broncos player to reach Canton, joining RB Floyd Little, QB John Elway, DB Steve Atwater, TE Shannon Sharpe, OL Gary Zimmerman, RB Terrell Davis, CB Champ Bailey, QB Peyton Manning and OLB DeMarcus Ware. Late team owner Pat Bowlen is also in the Hall of Fame, as are a few *other players who spent time in Denver.

Gradishar, 71, is already a member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. Now he’s a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.

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Panthers legend Julius Peppers named to Pro Football Hall of Fame

In his first year of eligibility, Panthers great Julius Peppers has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The legacy of a hometown hero has found home of its own.

As announced during NFL Honors on Thursday night, Carolina Panthers great Julius Peppers has been named a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. The Wilson, N.C. native and University of North Carolina two-sport star has now achieved football immortality in just his year on the ballot.

Peppers played 10 of his 17 pro seasons in Carolina, a two-stint tenure that sandwiched stops for the Chicago Bears (2010 to 2013) and the Green Bay Packers (2014 to 2016). Those 17 years yielded an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, four First-team All-Pro selections, three Second-team All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowl nods and spots on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

By the time the 2002 No. 2 overall pick hung up his cleats after the 2018 season, he had amassed 719 tackles, 11 interceptions, 52 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries and 159.5 sacks—the fourth-most in league history.

Once inducted later this summer, Peppers will join fellow defenders Reggie White, Kevin Greene and Sam Mills as one of the few Panthers players who are enshrined in Canton. Peppers, however, will be the only player of that bunch to have spent the majority of his career in Carolina.

Congratulations, Pep!

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