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HOF-ELWAY-7
Speed Kills
No Bronco made the finalist list. Lynch did but he was a rental and while I'm glad he was in Denver, I don't view his as a true Bronco and I doubt that he does either.
The selection of Bettis over Davis just proves that HOF voters value a long career that's good but not great over a short but absolutely brilliant career.
I've said this before, but Davis accomplished everything you could hope for as a running back entering the league. Super Bowl champ (twice), Super Bowl MVP, League MVP, 3x First Team All Pro, 2x Offensive Player of the Year, a 2,000 yard season, a ridiculous average of 5.6 yards per carry in the playoffs to go along with over 1,200 yards rushing in the playoffs, and he's the all time leading rusher for the Broncos.
Just look at those accomplishments, and then explain to me why he isn't in the HOF. It's a travesty.
Right now I think Davis will have to wait until he can get in after that I think 20 year window kind of like Floyd Little did. It just baffles me that the NFL can keep an MVP out of the HOF that had one of the greatest 3-4 year stretches of any running back in NFL history. I know his career was short but the impact he made in his short time took the Broncos to a whole new level. I look at a guy like Jerome Bettis making the finalist list and think this guy was never considered the top running back in the NFL at any point in his career. He had one season over 1,500 yards rushing. That doesn't sound HOF to me. This is where the Pittsburgh connection really helps his cause.
Atwater I can understand a little. He deserves to be in the HOF but I know Safeties have a tough time getting in. Mecklenburg though is one that should have been in a long time ago. The Albino Rhino was the anchor of our great defense in the mid 80's. It didn't matter where you put him on the defense the guy just dominated. He played 7 positions on the defense yet was successful at them all. I don't know of many players that could say that in today's NFL.
He was good, but the Bronco who REALLY gets HOF screwed is Gradishar. He above any other Bronco belongs in there.
The real bad news is that Gradishar didn't even make the final list. Once you're not on the finalist list, it's hard to get momentum to get voted in. I hope I'm wrong but Gradishar has the look of a guy that got close but is getting further away as time goes by.![]()
It's going to be up to the seniors committee now. From what I understand, he's no longer eligible to make the main ballot. Sad that one of the all time best is left off simply because he played in Denver instead of one of the media darling teams.