1) Many have called Randy one of the most instinctive players to ever play in the NFL. In fact, Gradishar is said to have had a “nose for the ball” like few players who have ever played the game of football.
• Former Ohio State Coach, Woody Hayes, called Randy, “the best defensive player I ever coached.”
• Former Denver Bronco Head coach John Ralston scouted Gradishar and drafted him in the first round out of Ohio State. He says of Randy, “I’ve never seen a more gifted and talented athlete than Randy Gradishar.”
• Denver Bronco Defensive Coordinator, Joe Collier, a 32-year coaching veteran, says, “Randy Gradishar was the best player I ever coached.”
• Stan Jones, a Hall of Famer who played and coached in the NFL for 40 years, calls Randy, “one of the premier linebackers in the history of the game.”
• HOF Defensive tackle, Merlin Olsen, calls Randy one of the best five linebackers he played with, against or covered during his broadcasting career.

2) Many consider Randy Gradishar to be the NFL Prototype for the Inside Middle Linebacker Position in the 30 (3-4) Defense.
• There are no players currently in the HOF who played the IMLB position in the 30 (3-4) Defense.
• As an IMLB, Randy was a model of on-field leadership, focus, consistency and greatness.
• He routinely made big plays and played hard on every defensive down.
• His responsibilities for “rush lane” discipline and “pass coverage” were more extensive than most other linebackers who played in the 4-3 defense.

3) Randy displayed a standard of excellence at his Inside Middle Linebacker position in the 30 (3-4) Defense during his 10-year career with the Denver Broncos that was easily recognized by players, coaches, game officials, and fans alike. (Refer to Section IV - Quotes)

4) In November of 2002, Joel Buchsbaum of Pro Football Weekly named Randy Gradishar as one of the Top-Ten NFL Linebackers of all time. (See November 13, 2002 Issue of Pro Football Weekly in Section V.) The Top-Ten List of All Time NFL Linebackers included: Dick Butkus, Lawrence Taylor, Ray Lewis, Bobby Bell, Dave Wilcox, Mike Singletary, Jack Ham, Ray Nitschke, Jack Lambert and Randy Gradishar.

5) In December of 2002, Joel Buchsbaum of Pro Football Weekly named Randy Gradishar as #2 on his list of “most deserving candidates” not yet inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (See “Holding Out Hope” article in the December 6, 2002 Issue of Pro Football Weekly in Section V.)

6) Randy Gradishar played in 145 consecutive NFL games and never missed a game during his ten years with the Denver Broncos. • He set a personal goal for a 10-year NFL career when he came into the league as a rookie in 1974. • He consistently performed at the top of his game and was still getting better each year. • His retirement from the NFL was his choice rather than being forced to retire due to injuries, age, and other factors.

7) Randy Gradishar was a “true” Three-Down Linebacker.
• Randy was a “true” three-down Linebacker as he defended equally well against the run and the pass. Because of this rare ability, his coaches wanted him on the field for every defensive play. Consequently, he had many more opportunities to make tackles and defend against pass receivers than a two-down Linebacker.
• Most Modern-Day Middle Linebackers in the NFL are two-down players. They play tough against the run but are replaced by an extra defensive back in pure passing situations.
• As an Inside Middle Linebacker in the 30 (3-4) Defense, Randy was equally adept at stuffing the running game and covering pass receivers. o He was not substituted out of the game in passing situations. o His coaches wanted him on the playing field all the time. o He had an uncanny ability to make big plays, especially in short-yardage situations. o He is considered to be one of the NFL’s most accurate tacklers ever. o He is also considered to be one of the best short yardage play-stuffers ever.

8) Randy is credited with making 2,049 tackles during his 10-year career, the most of any NFL player, past or present, during a 10-year span. • NFL players, coaches and scouts remember Gradishar as one of the most accurate tacklers and greatest short yardage defenders to ever play in the NFL. Whenever he got near a ball carrier, the ball carrier went down!
• Tackling stats for the Denver Broncos and all other NFL teams are collected two ways: First, from play-by-play game summaries. (These stats are recorded in the press box during the flow of each game and tend to focus on which player makes the initial hit on a ball carrier. Play by Play stats often fail to accurately acknowledge the other player(s) who have assisted with the tackle. This can only be accurately determined by film/video study.)
• Secondly, tackling stats are also determined from the analysis of actual game film/video as conducted by each NFL team’s defensive coaching staff. This process is generally more accurate since each defensive play is carefully viewed, reviewed, and analyzed to determine which player made the initial hit on the ball carrier (Unassisted Tackle) and which player(s) might have assisted in bringing the ball carrier down (Assisted Tackle.)
• The number of Unassisted Tackles credited to Randy Gradishar during his 10-year career is fairly consistent between play-by-play stats and the stats gathered by coaches from film study and review.
• The number of Assisted Tackles credited to Randy Gradishar by the Broncos defensive coaching staff during that same 10-year time period is understandably higher than the number of Assisted Tackles he was given credit for on play-by-play stats.

1) A number of NFL players and coaches who are enshrined in the HOF themselves endorse Randy’s worthiness to be inducted into the HOF. • In addition to the support of HOF players and coaches, a number of other outstanding players and coaches in the NFL support Randy's nomination into the NFL. (Refer to Section IV - Quotes)

2) Currently, there are only 15 NFL Linebackers currently enshrined in the HOF. (See Section II – HOF Linebacker Comparison Chart) • The Linebackers currently in the HOF are either Middle Linebackers from the 4-3 Defense or “big play” blitzing Outside Linebackers from the 4-3 Defense. • Their individual careers in the NFL range from 9-15 years. • Many Linebackers in the HOF had limited productivity in the later years of their careers due to injuries, age, and other factors. • Dick Butkus played only 9 years; Jack Lambert, Willie Lanier and Dave Wilcox each played 11 years.

3) Randy’s individual awards and statistics rank him favorably when compared with other HOF linebackers. (Refer to Section II - Accomplishments)

4) A group of outstanding NFL game officials also support Randy’s nomination for induction into the HOF.
• Former NFL referee, Jim Tunney: “Randy Gradishar is definitely a Hall of Fame player. The records he achieved rank among the best ever. His play was characterized by intensity and consistency.”
• Former NFL referee, Red Cashion: “I don’t know any player I observed over the years that had the level of competitiveness that Randy had. He took the game to another level.”
• Ben Drieth, an NFL official for 31 years: “Gradishar was a terrific player. He played by the rules—no cheap shots—no complaining—and he played as hard as anyone I saw.”

5) The 2002 NFL season marked the 25th anniversary of the Broncos 1977 Super Bowl team, which Randy captained. Randy’s on-field presence and his “follow me” style of leadership helped enable the Broncos “Orange Crush Defense” to come out of nowhere to become one of the great defenses in the NFL during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. (See Section II – Orange Crush Defense Combined Rankings from 1975-1983)

6) John Elway is the only Denver Bronco in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This year, Denver has two players on the list of the Final 25 candidates: Randy Gradishar and Gary Zimmerman (Vikings/Broncos). The number of players in the HOF from each of the “original AFL teams” (1960 – Present) is as follows: The Denver Broncos have 1 The Oakland Raiders have 12 The San Diego Chargers have 5 The Kansas City Chiefs have 5 The Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans have 5 The New York Jets have 3 The New England Patriots have 3 The Buffalo Bills have 4

1) Randy never missed an NFL game during his 10 years with the Denver Broncos. He retired from the NFL at the top of his game. Randy set a goal for a 10-year NFL career when he came into the league as a Rookie. Randy had a phenomenal career with the Denver Broncos and could have played much longer, if he had chosen to. For many of the linebackers in the HOF, injuries, age and other factors limited their productivity in the later years of their careers. At the time of Randy’s retirement, he was playing at the top of his game and was still getting better each year.

2) Currently, there are only 15 linebackers in the HOF. (See Linebacker Comparison Chart included in the booklet) The span of their individual careers ranged from 9-15 years. For many of the linebackers in the HOF, injuries, age and other factors limited their productivity in the later years of their careers. Dick Butkus played only 9 years. Jack Lambert, Willie Lanier and Dave Wilcox played 11 years each At the time of Randy’s voluntary retirement, he was at the top of his game and was still getting better each year.

3) Randy is considered by many to be the “prototype” for the Inside Middle Linebacker Position in the NFL. As of yet, there are no players in the HOF who played the IMLB position. As an IMLB, Randy was a model of on-field leadership, focus and consistency. He routinely made big plays and played hard on every defensive down. His responsibilities for “rush lane” discipline and “pass coverage” were more extensive than most other linebackers who played in the 4-3 defense.

4) Randy was a true three-down Linebacker. Unlike some linebackers who were better at stopping the run than they were in pass coverage, Randy was equally adept at stuffing the running game and covering pass receivers. Randy was not substituted out of the game in passing situations. His coaches wanted him on the playing field all the time. Randy had an uncanny ability to make big plays in short-yardage situations against the run or the pass. He is considered to be one of the NFL’s best short yardage tacklers ever.

5) Randy is credited within 2,049 tackles during his 10-year career, the most of any NFL player, past or present, during a 10-year span. NFL players, coaches and scouts remember Randy as one of the most accurate tacklers and greatest short yardage defenders to ever play in the NFL. Whenever he got near the ball carrier, the ball carrier went down! Tackling stats for the Denver Broncos and all other teams in the NFL are collected two ways: First, from play-by-play game summaries. (These stats tend to focus on what player makes the initial hit on a ball carrier, but they often fail to acknowledge is other player(s) who assisted with the tackle) Secondly, tackling stats are also determined from actual game film analysis conducted by an NFL team’s defensive coaching staff. This system is generally more accurate since each play is carefully viewed, reviewed and analyzed to determine which player made the initial hit (Unassisted Tackle) and which player(s) might have assisted on the tackle (Assisted Tackle). The number of Unassisted Tackles credited to Randy Gradishar during his 10-year career is fairly consistent between play-by-play stats and the stats gathered by coaches from film study and review. The number of Unassisted Tackles credited to Randy Gradishar by the Broncos defensive coaching staff during that same 10-year time period is higher than the number of Unassisted tackles he was given credit for on play by play stats. Tackling stats from play-by-play game summaries actually show that Randy was credited with making more tackles in games played on the road than he was while playing games in Denver.

6) This fall marks the 28th anniversary of the Broncos 1977 Super Bowl team, which Randy captained. Randy’s on-field presence and his “follow me” style of leadership helped enable the Broncos “Orange Crush Defense” to come out of nowhere to become one of the great defenses in the NFL during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

7) Many have called Randy one of the most instinctive players to ever play in the NFL. Randy is said to have had a “nose for the ball” like few players who have ever played the game of football. Former Ohio State Coach, Woody Hayes, called Randy the best defensive player he ever coached. Former Denver Bronco Head coach, John Ralston, scouted Randy and drafted him in the first round out of Ohio State. He says of Randy, “I’ve never seen a more gifted and talented athlete than Randy Gradishar.” Denver Bronco Defensive Coordinator, Joe Collier, a 32-year coaching veteran, calls Randy, “the best player I ever coached.” Stan Jones, a HOF player who played and coached in the NFL for 40 years, calls Randy one of the premier linebackers in the history of the game. HOF defensive tackle, Merlin Olsen, calls Randy one of the best five linebackers he either played against or covered during his broadcasting career.

8) Randy’s worthiness to be inducted into the HOF is endorsed by a number of HOF players and coaches. (Refer to list of quotes in booklet) Randy’s nomination for the HOF is also supported by a number of other outstanding players and coaches in the NFL.

9) A group of outstanding NFL game officials also support Randy’s nomination to the HOF. Former NFL referee, Jim Tunney, said about Randy, “Randy Gradishar is definitely a Hall of Fame player. The records he achieved rank among the best ever. His play was characterized by intensity and consistency.” Former NFL referee, Red Cashion, described Randy this way, “I don’t know any player I observed over the years that had the level of competitiveness that Randy had. He took the game to another level.” Ben Drieth, an NFL official for 31 years said about Randy, “Gradishar was a terrific player. He played by the rules—no cheap shots—no complaining—and he played as hard as anyone I saw.”

10) Randy’s individual awards and statistics rank him favorably when compared with other HOF linebackers. (Refer to list of Randy’s accomplishments in booklet)

11) Randy displayed a standard of excellence at his Inside Middle Linebacker position during his 10-year career with the Denver Broncos that was easily recognized by players, coaches, game officials and fans alike.

12) As one of the original AFL teams, Denver has only one player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.(Update List) The Oakland Raiders have 10 The San Diego Chargers have 5 The Kansas City Chiefs have 5 The Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans have 4 The New York Jets have 3 The New England Patriots have 3, The Buffalo Bills have 3, The Denver Broncos have 1.