ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The ground-to-ceiling trophy case within the foyer of the Broncos’ suburban Denver advanced glitters with the franchise’s historical past.
Among the many awards and signposts of the workforce’s journey from 1960 to now are eight AFC Championship trophies and three Lombardi trophies commemorating their Tremendous Bowl titles. However earlier than they turned one in every of 5 franchises to make no less than eight Tremendous Bowl journeys, earlier than coaches Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan received piles of video games, and earlier than quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning took snaps, there was the launch pad.
There was 1977.
“That season, that yr, that group, that was form of the beginning of how folks take into consideration the Broncos,” former Broncos cornerback Louis Wright mentioned. “I’ve mentioned we have been working issues [on defense] persons are nonetheless working right this moment, we had nice gamers, we did issues which might be laborious to do and perhaps that was the primary yr folks exterior of Colorado actually seen.”
Randy Gradishar, the main tackler for the Orange Crush protection in that 1977 season, will carry a big piece of the workforce’s historical past into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame when the category of 2024 is inducted Saturday (midday, ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes).
He would be the solely participant from the Broncos’ 1977 workforce — the franchise’s first playoff workforce and first Tremendous Bowl workforce — to put on a gold jacket. And he would be the solely participant from the Orange Crush, probably the greatest defenses in league historical past, to be enshrined.
“I do not know that there are phrases to explain it, nevertheless it’s one heck of an honor to have the ability to characterize the opposite guys on the Orange Crush protection, the Broncos group … and the entire workforce and entire membership,” Gradishar mentioned. “[It] was wonderful.”
Defensive coordinator Joe Collier, who died in early Might at age 91, pioneered a 3-4 protection with the likes of Wright, Tom Jackson, Billy Thompson, Steve Foley and Lyle Alzado, with Gradishar in the course of all of it.
Throughout a nine-year span from 1975 to 1983, that group ranked third total in complete protection, second in run protection, first in fewest passing touchdowns allowed, second in fewest touchdowns from scrimmage allowed and fourth in total scoring protection. And from 1977 to 1981, the Orange Crush was first in fewest yards allowed and fewest passing touchdowns allowed.
They did all of it in what shall be a never-seen-again period of protection that included the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Metal Curtain, the Dallas Cowboys’ Doomsday Protection and the Minnesota Vikings’ Purple Folks Eaters.
“The older you get, the sweeter it’s,” Foley mentioned. “You understand that you simply have been a part of the start of the championship soccer right here that we have come so accustomed to. It was a particular time in Denver historical past. It will probably’t get replaced. It was Mile Excessive Magic. It was magic right here. I’ve by no means seen such a rabid group of followers … and [fans across the NFL] had to concentrate to us.”
Invoice Belichick, who spent the 1978 season on the hip of Collier whereas with the Broncos, has repeatedly mentioned the roots of his defensive philosophy over his 4 a long time within the NFL might be present in what he gleaned from Collier. Belichick mentioned his intention throughout his time with the Broncos “was to discover ways to see the sport by way of Joe’s eyes.”
Belichick mentioned he used most of the ideas he discovered from Collier all through his historic run because the New England Patriots coach, particularly within the crimson zone and in goal-line appears to be like.
“You know the way I really feel about it,” Collier mentioned in an interview earlier this yr. “I really feel like these gamers, lots of them, are Corridor of Famers and must be Corridor of Famers. However begin with Randy, begin there. However that group was, and all the time shall be, particular.”
Till he was chosen for enshrinement as a seniors finalist — 41 years after he had performed his final NFL sport — Gradishar could have been probably the most adorned defensive participant on any not-in-the-Corridor record. He was Defensive Participant of the Yr in 1978, a seven-time Professional Bowl choice throughout his 10-year profession and two-time first-team All-Professional in an period with the likes of Corridor of Famers Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Robert Brazile simply within the AFC at linebacker.
Gradishar, who was credited with a franchise-record 2,049 tackles over his 10 seasons, additionally completed third within the voting for Defensive Participant of the Yr in that 1977 season and obtained votes for the award in two different years, a uncommon prevalence. Earlier than he was chosen to be enshrined, Gradishar was the one Corridor of Fame-eligible participant with no less than seven Professional Bowl picks, a number of first-team All Professional picks and a Defensive Participant of the Yr award who didn’t have a gold jacket.
“As a person ball participant being a part of a workforce, I am glad to lastly characterize the Orange Crush protection,” Gradishar mentioned. “We have been very, excellent.”
And in 1977, the Broncos have been lastly in a position to wedge themselves into the postseason dialog within the powerhouse AFC, a spot they stayed all through the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and all the best way to 2015, closing out that season with a Tremendous Bowl 50 win in Manning’s closing NFL sport.
Between the Miami Dolphins’ good season in 1972 and the Oakland Raiders’ Tremendous Bowl XV win to shut out the 1980 season, the Broncos have been one in every of 4 AFC groups (Steelers, Raiders and Dolphins) to win an AFC Championship. The Steelers received 4 Tremendous Bowls in that span, whereas the Dolphins and Raiders every received two. That is why Denver’s first playoff season in ’77 has all the time been goose-bump worthy for the workforce’s oldest followers. To easily earn the journey to Tremendous Bowl XII, the Broncos needed to beat the Steelers and the Raiders in back-to-back weeks at dwelling.
“Attending to 1977 and beating the Steelers and the Metal Curtain at Mile Excessive Stadium, we did that, and likewise, enjoying these guys referred to as the Oakland Raiders with Ken Stabler and people guys, coach John Madden … to win the AFC championship … was simply phenomenal,” Gradishar mentioned. “Everybody in Colorado went nuts … Having the ability to win and speaking to Tom Jackson on the sidelines on the finish of among the video games … simply particular.”
It did not get the fairy story ending because the Broncos misplaced to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-10. However the Broncos adopted it up with two 10-6 seasons over the following two years, Reeves started his profitable run as coach in 1981, Elway arrived in a commerce in 1983 and Corridor of Famer Pat Bowlen turned the workforce’s proprietor in 1984. Seven of the workforce’s eight Tremendous Bowl journeys got here throughout Bowlen’s tenure.
“However I do look again in so some ways and the way we take into consideration the Broncos form of did come out of that ’77 season,” Gradishar mentioned. “It was particular, simply particular to be part of it. And I am glad perhaps with this [Hall of Fame enshrinement], perhaps folks will look again on the issues that group did.”
