Countdown to Canton: Broncos Who Belong in Hall of Fame: Riley Odoms | No. 12
The tight end position began to develop when the NFL moved from the one-platoon system to more specialized players. Even though that began in the 1940s, it took several decades before the tight end became anything close to resembling the offensive weapon we know today.
Until the 1980s, players who lined up at tight end were typically used as extra blockers and caught only a moderate number of passes. There were only a handful of players through the 1960s and '70s who were a dominant force in the passing game from the tight end spot. Enter Riley Odoms with the Denver Broncos.
The Case for Odoms
As you can imagine, being a dominant force at tight end in the '70s looks completely different, statistically speaking, from what we know today. There are Hall-of-Fame players like Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzalez who are career leaders in receiving measures even when compared to wide receivers.
That was unheard of for tight ends in the '70s. However, if Hall-of-Fame voters would drill down into the stats, it would be easy to see why Odoms was a force to be reckoned with, similar to the greats we have watched in the recent past.
At the time of Odoms' retirement, only three tight ends had more yards receiving than he did: Jackie Smith, Pete Retzlaff, and Mike Ditka. Smith and Ditka are in the Hall of Fame.
Retzlaff should be. Odoms was also fifth in all-time receptions for tight ends and had more touchdowns than Smith.
More to the Tale
However, career stats don’t tell his full story. Odoms was much more than just an accumulation of stats from longevity. In 1973, he led all tight ends with seven touchdowns and almost repeated that feat in 1974 when he ranked second.
In 1978, Odoms was second in the league in receptions, behind only Hall-of-Famer Dave Casper, and third in receiving yards. Odoms was consistently near the league leaders for tight ends each season. He was a significant force in the Broncos' offense through the '70s during a time when the tight end was not featured.
Odoms was adept at getting open and caught the ball effortlessly. In today’s NFL, he would be the type of weapon coaches are constantly looking for at tight end. With all his receiving prowess, he did what the tight end did most of the time back then: block. He was one of the best blocking tight ends throughout his career.
Instrumental to Team Success
When the Broncos reached their first Super Bowl following the 1978 season, the Orange Crush defense rightfully got most of the credit, but Odoms' five receptions, 43 yards, and a touchdown helped beat the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. His third-quarter touchdown put Denver ahead for good.
Odoms was voted a first-team All-Pro twice, second-team All-Pro once, and was voted to the Pro Bowl four times throughout his 10-year career. Not bad for a position that was mostly an afterthought until a decade later.
Bottom Line
Hall-of-Fame voters have only selected nine tight ends for enshrinement into Canton. They need to take the time to reevaluate Odoms' candidacy because he was one of the best tight ends in his era.
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