Randy Gradishar, Mike Shanahan & Dan Reeves Named Finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Three legendary Denver Broncos have been named finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Randy Gradishar, Mike Shanahan, and Dan Reeves. These deserving Broncos are on the cusp of enshrinement in Canton in their respective categories, and all are deserving of the honor.
A few weeks removed from announcing the group of 2023 semi-finalists, Hall of Fame voters whittled down the list in the Senior and Coaching/Contributor category to 12 each. The remaining candidates in each pool are advancing towards the individual pinnacle of football.
Grasdishar is one of the biggest Hall of Fame snubs of all time. He is the only player to win Defensive Player of the Year in the 1970s or 1980s, named to five or more Pro Bowls, and two or more first-team All-Pros who is not in the Hall of Fame.
All the others to do it have been enshrined long ago. Gradishar has garnered significant support from media and historians over the past few years and it's looking good for him to get that gold jacket finally.
As the head coach of the Broncos, Shanahan won back-to-back Super Bowls and had a stretch of success that rivals many coaches in Canton, including Bill Cowher. Shanahan was an innovator, and under his guidance, the Broncos took the zone blocking scheme to an entirely new level.
That scheme, along with a new twist on the West Coast offense, is still being used in today’s NFL. Shanahan's success as a head coach and his lasting effect on the NFL cannot be overlooked by voters.
The late Reeves took two different teams to the Super Bowl as head coach, including the Broncos three times. He also won championships as a player and assistant coach in his nine total trips to the Super Bowl.
Reeves, who passed away in January, was an incredible leader who knew how to assemble a great coaching staff. He was the architect of an incredible run of success with the Broncos during his 12 seasons in the Mile High City, and he ranks in the top-10 in the NFL in all-time wins.
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