This past week has been one of celebration in Broncos Country as the Denver Broncos added three new members to the team Ring of Fame. Kicker Jason Elam, linebacker/defensive end Simon Fletcher and safety John Lynch bring the membership in the Ring to 31.
Fellow AFC West members Kansas City and San Diego each have far more members in their team halls of fame (each team often calls their own by a unique name) than the Broncos, even though each of those noble franchises has just one Super Bowl appearance compared to the Broncos' eight.
And that brings up a bit of a sore point.
The Denver Broncos have four members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who played all of or the most significant parts of their careers in Denver: John Elway, Floyd Little, Shannon Sharper and Gary Zimmerman.
Of course, Willie Brown and Tony Dorsett also were Broncos, but we all recognize that they achieved most of their Hall credentials in Oakland and Dallas, respectively.
That there are so few Broncos in the Hall of Fame has always been a real sore point with Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen. I cannot count the times he has talked about Denver having unfair representation in the Hall of Fame, and many voting members have stated their agreement in print.
The Broncos are the only team with eight Super Bowl appearances that does not have a single defensive player in the Hall.
As I sat around before and after the Ring of Fame committee meeting, I chatted with my colleague Andrew Mason, who does such superb work, all of it appearing elsewhere on this site. Andrew has a depth of knowledge about pro football more often found in someone a generation or even two older, and he has a great idea about the Hall.
The Broncos' Ring of Fame honors those who have most impacted the franchise. Here are photos of all 35 members, arranged in order of their selection from when the Ring of Fame was created in 1984.
Austin "Goose" Gonsoulin was one of the four original Ring of Fame inductees in 1984 and was recognized for his splendid play at safety for seven seasons. Gonsoulin was one of the original Broncos from the 1960 season and played until 1966.
Rich Jackson was one of the four original Ring of Famers who were inducted in 1984 and was recognized for his six outstanding seasons with the Broncos from 1967-72. He was considered by many as the best defensive end in professional football during his prime. Known as "Tombstone," Jackson was the first Bronco to be named to the All-NFL first team in 1970.
Floyd Little, named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010, was one of the four original Denver Broncos Ring of Fame inductees from 1984 and joins John Elway and Frank Tripucka as one of three Broncos whose jersey number is retired. A first-round (sixth overall) draft choice of the Broncos in 1967 from Syracuse University, Little was the first No. 1 draft pick ever signed by the Broncos and was widely regarded as "The Franchise" for much of his nine-year career (1967-75) in which he established himself as Denver's first serious threat at running back.
Lionel Taylor, one of the "original Broncos," was one of the initial Ring of Famers after being inducted with the inaugural class in 1984. He finished his seven-year Broncos career (1960-66) as the franchise's all-time leader in receptions (543) and receiving yards (6,872), records he held until 1999 (and now ranks fourth in each).
Gerald H. Phipps became the first non-player to be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1985. Under the guidance of Phipps and his brother Allan, the Broncos rose from their less than auspicious beginnings to the top of the American Football Conference after Phipps purchased the club on Feb. 15, 1965. Phipps was with the Broncos from 1961-81.
Charley Johnson was one of three inductees into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986 along with fellow quarterback Frank Tripucka and defensive end Paul Smith. Johnson came to Denver in 1972 from Houston in exchange for a third-round draft choice, and the trade at that time was regarded as the most important in franchise history. He quarterbacked the Broncos to their first winning season (7-5-2 in 1973), a landmark moment in the first 14 years of club annals.
Paul Smith was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986 along with quarterbacks Frank Tripucka and Charley Johnson. The defensive tackle recorded 55.5 sacks with the Broncos from 1968-78, finishing his 11-year career in Denver ranked second in that category.
Frank Tripucka, who joined the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986, is one of the "original Broncos," playing for the team from 1960-63. Tripucka led the Broncos to their first-ever .500 season in 1962 (7-7). Tripucka's number (which was later shared with Peyton Manning) is one of just three numbers retired by the Broncos.
Billy Thompson, regarded by many as one of the best defensive backs in Denver Broncos history, was the only Ring of Fame inductee in 1987. A third-round draft choice (61st overall) by the Broncos in 1969, Thompson was the first player in team history to play 13 seasons with Denver (1969-81) with that total tying for the sixth highest in franchise annals.
Craig Morton was one of three Broncos Ring of Fame inductees in 1988 along with fellow teammates Haven Moses and Jim Turner. Morton, who joined the Broncos from the New York Giants in a 1977 trade, was Denver's starting quarterback for most of the period from 1977-82 and led the team to its first postseason and Super Bowl berth (XII vs. Dallas) in 1977 when he guided the Broncos to a 12-2 regular-season record and home playoff wins against Pittsburgh and Oakland that year.
Haven Moses was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988 as part of a three-member class that included quarterback Craig Morton and kicker Jim Turner. Moses played 10 seasons for the Broncos from 1972-81 as one of their primary wide receivers after joining the team from Buffalo, where he played his first four professional seasons.
Jim Turner, a 1988 inductee into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, ranks as one of the most prolific kickers of all time in professional football. He never missed a game as a pro and finished with a streak of 228 consecutive appearances, including 130 in nine seasons (1971-79) with the Broncos, for whom he scored 742 points to establish himself as Denver's all-time scoring leader until Jason Elam passed his mark in 1999.
Randy Gradishar was the only Ring of Fame inductee in 1989 in recognition of his outstanding 10-year career (1974-83) at linebacker for the Broncos. He was among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame balloting in 2003 and 2008 as well as one of the 25 semifinalists for the Class of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Tom Jackson was the only player inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1992. "TJ" always was one of the most popular players among his teammates, who voted him most inspirational player six consecutive seasons (1981-86). Selected by the Broncos in the fourth round (88th overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft from the University of Louisville, Jackson finished his 14-year career (1973-86) having played the most games in Broncos history at 191.
Louis Wright was named to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1993 following an electrifying 12-year career (1975-86) with the club as a cornerback. Selected by the Broncos in the first round (17th overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft from San Jose State University, Wright was a five-time Pro Bowl choice (1977-79, '83, '85) and is one of nine players in franchise history to be selected to at least five Pro Bowls.
John Elway, a two-time Super Bowl champion as a player, a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2004 and the most accomplished player in Denver Broncos history, was elected to the franchise's Ring of Fame in 1999. The only player for whom the customary wait for Ring of Fame induction was waived, Elway finished his magnificent career completing 4,123-of-7,250 passes (56.9%) for 51,475 yards with 300 touchdowns and 226 interceptions.
Karl Mecklenburg joined the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2001 after establishing himself as one of the most outstanding defensive players in franchise history during his 12-year career from 1983-94. Mecklenburg overcame long odds to achieve greatness after being drafted by the Broncos in the 12th round from the University of Minnesota in 1983—the 310th player chosen.
Dennis Smith was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2001, honoring his stellar 14-year career with the club during which he established himself as one of the most feared safeties in the NFL. A ferocious hitter, Smith was voted to six Pro Bowls (1985-86, '89-91, '93) that tie for the sixth most by a player in Broncos history.
Gary Zimmerman, named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2008, was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2003. He played tackle for the Broncos for five seasons (1993-97) and became the first offensive lineman in the history of the franchise to be honored with inclusion in the Ring. A finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame from 2003-04 and '06-07 before he joined John Elway as the second HOF inductee who spent a primary portion of his career in Denver, Zimmerman was acquired by the Broncos in a trade from Minnesota on Aug. 24, 1993, after playing his first seven years with the Vikings.
Steve Atwater was inducted as the 20th member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 2005 after a brilliant 10-year career with the club from 1989-98. Regarded as one of the toughest safeties in the NFL during his playing days, Atwater was voted to a franchise record-tying seven consecutive Pro Bowls from 1990-96, and his eight career Pro Bowl selections are the second most by a player in Broncos history.
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017, Terrell Davis was inducted as the 21st member of the Ring of Fame in 2007 after establishing himself as the Denver Broncos' all-time leading rusher while spending his entire eight-year career with the team from 1995-2002. Selected by the Broncos in the sixth round (196th overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft from the University of Georgia, Davis rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons, including the 1998 campaign in which he totaled the fourth-most rushing yards (2,008) in a season in NFL history to earn league MVP honors.
Shannon Sharpe was elected as the 22nd member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame on May 12, 2009, after 12 record-setting seasons with the club from 1990-99 and 2002-03. A Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2011, Sharpe tied a Broncos record with seven consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1992-98 while becoming the NFL's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a tight end.
Rod Smith, the franchise's all-time leading receiver, was elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2012. A three-time Pro Bowl selection (2000-01, '05), Smith played 183 regular-season games (158 starts) over 12 seasons while setting club records for receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389) and receiving touchdowns (68). He also established the team's career postseason receiving marks with 49 catches for 860 yards and six touchdowns in 13 playoff games, including Denver's back-to-back Super Bowl championships following the 1997 and '98 seasons.
Tom Nalen was elected into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2013. He played center for the Broncos for 14 seasons (1994-2007), anchoring an offensive line that was the standard among NFL units during that span. He saw action in the third-most regular-season games (194) in franchise history, and his 188 starts are second only to quarterback John Elway in Denver's record books.
Gene Mingo, who played five seasons with the club (1960-64), was one of three inductees into the Ring of Fame in 2014, becoming the fourth "original Bronco" to receive the honor. During the first four seasons (1960-63) in Broncos history, Mingo ranked third in professional football with 375 total points, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Paul Hornung (396 pts.) and Patriots Hall of Fame wide receiver/kicker Gino Cappelletti (448 pts.).
Dan Reeves became the first head coach to be elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame when he was chosen along with Gene Mingo and Rick Upchurch in 2014. Reeves coached the Broncos from 1981-92 and compiled a 110-73-1 (.600) record in his 12 seasons while leading the team to a franchise-best five division titles (1984, '86-87, '89, '91) and three Super Bowl appearances (1986-87, '89).
Rick Upchurch joined Gene Mingo and Dan Reeves as Denver Broncos Ring of Fame inductees in 2014. Upchurch, who spent his entire nine-year NFL career (1975-83) with the Broncos, made four Pro Bowls (1976, '78-79, '82) and five Associated Press All-Pro teams (1976-79, '82) as a returner. He was named a first-team 1970s NFL All-Decade choice by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee in addition to earning second-team 1980s NFL All-Decade honors as a kick returner.
Late Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen was elected as the newest member of the team's Ring of Fame in 2015—his 32nd season with the franchise. One of two owners and one of just three non-players elected to the Ring of Fame, Mr. Bowlen guided the Broncos to an unprecedented period of success during his three-plus decades in Denver from 1984-2019.
Jason Elam, who played the first 15 seasons (1993-2007) of his 17-year NFL career with the Broncos, is the franchise's all-time leader in field goals (395) and points (1,786)—both representing the second-highest totals in NFL history for a single team (K Jason Hanson, Det.). A three-time Pro Bowl selection (1995, '98, '01) and 2001 NFL Special Teams Player of the Year, Elam played in a team-record 250 combined games (236 reg. season / 14 postseason) for the Broncos.
Simon Fletcher spent his entire 11-year NFL career (1985-95) with the Broncos and finished as the franchise's all-time sack leader with 97.5 quarterback takedowns—a record that wasn't surpassed until 2018 by Von Miller. A member of the Broncos' 50th Anniversary Team, Fletcher never missed a game in his career, setting a team mark by appearing in 172 consecutive contests.
John Lynch played four seasons (2004-07) with the Broncos and was named to the Pro Bowl in each year he played for the franchise. He joins cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Aqib Talib as the only three players in Broncos history to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first four years with the club.
Red Miller was elected to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2017, joining Dan Reeves as the only two coaches in team history to receive the prestigious honor. Hired as the eighth head coach in Broncos history on Feb. 1, 1977, Miller compiled a 40-22 (.645) regular-season record and a 2-3 (.400) playoff mark from 1977-80.
Champ Bailey was inducted as the 33rd member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 2019—the same season he became the first defensive player in franchise history to be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bailey played 10 seasons with the Broncos from 2004-13 and five years with the Washington Redskins from 1999-2003. He was selected to 12 Pro Bowls during his career to tie for the third-most in history among defensive players.
The Broncos' all-time leader in regular-season wins (138) and postseason victories (8), Shanahan was Denver's head coach from 1995-2008 after previously serving as an assistant coach with the team in two separate stints (1984-87, '89-91). He led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl wins (XXXII & XXXIII), three conference championship games, seven postseason appearances and nine winning seasons during his 14 seasons as head coach.
Peyton Manning, the only five-time Most Valuable Player in NFL history, played 18 seasons with Indianapolis and Denver. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Broncos Ring of Fame in 2021. A member of the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Manning was chosen to the Associated Press All-Pro team 10 times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 14 times. In Manning's four seasons in Denver, he helped the Broncos to the most wins (55) and highest winning percentage (.764) of any team in the NFL while capturing four AFC West Division titles, two AFC Championships and a victory in Super Bowl 50 following his final professional season in 2015.
This is absolutely not a shot at the individual voters. They work hard at their jobs and take the vote very seriously. Our representative is Jeff Legwold of ESPN, and he is a career football writer who has never had a job that did not involve covering an NFL team. He makes great presentations of behalf of Broncos players and is nationally respected.
But I would like to see the Hall present the voters with Mason's idea, as a criterion, which would be to honor the very creation of the Hall, which inducted its inaugural class of 17 in 1963, By a once-a-decade class of 17.
Seventeen in the original class, seventeen once a decade. Why not?
The Hall of Fame currently has 295 members, including players, coaches and contributors such as owners and more recently, personnel people.
Pro football is coming up on the celebration of its first 100 years, and about 27,000 have played the game at the professional levle. The Hall is meant to be very exclusive, of course, but I believe both the football and baseball halls of fame should be more inclusive of greatness. I would say, it has "just" 295.
So why not a class of 17 once a decade?
Several years ago, baseball recognized that it had not done enough to recognize African-Americans who played in the Negro Leagues, and they added over 20 in one year, rather than parceling out these inductions gradually.
Baseball, which has been in existence professionally since about 1869, has 310 members in the Hall of Fame. That sport is much more restrictive that football, and its criteria for induction is, in my opinion, archaic. I would say, "just" 310.
The College Football Hall of Fame had a membership of 977 player and 211 coach inductees, representing 305 colleges and universities, 24 schools boasting 13 or more members. So there are 1,188 overall members in the college Hall, which annually inducts a group numbering in the teens.
There have been 1,963 Americans elected to the United States Senate since our system of government was founded, and there are believed to be (no one knows exactly) as many as 10,000 saints in the Catholic Church.
[A very interesting side note is that senators are voted on, as we all know, but for the first thousand years of the Catholic church saints were largely chosen by popular demand, which is why the total number is somewhat uncertain.]
There is an element of "popular demand" that still has value in pro sports today.
If a player looks to much of those coaches, players and fans in his game like a hall of famer, who is to say that he is not?
Are we concerned about saving bronze?
Speaking just of the Broncos, and just of defense, the "Orange Crush" (then and now) has had a strong presence on eight Super Bowl participants -- Randy Gradishar, Louis Wright, Steve Atwater and Karl Mecklenburg all have been Hall finalists. So has John Lynch, who of course also played for Tampa Bay before signing with the Broncos in this current age of free agency when many players play for multiple teams.
But none of them have been inducted.
Wright and Gradishar are currently being studied by the Hall's exceptional veteran's committee, and I have high hopes that one can crack the barrier.
Again, this is not about the voters. They can only vote for as many as they are told they can. But why not a class of 17?
The NFL's 100-year anniversary is 2019.
Why not celebrate it with a Hall of Fame class of 17 in 2019, and once every decade moving forward? There is really no such thing as giving honor to too many people.
