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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Brandon Walker

Randy Gradishar, Dan Reeves, Mike Shanahan, Alex Gibbs among 2024 Hall of Fame semifinalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 2024 semifinalists for the Senior candidates and Coach/Contributor categories on Wednesday. Among the semifinalists are former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar, ex-head coaches Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves, and former assistant Alex Gibbs.

Each of them has a very strong case for the Hall of Fame.

Randy Gradishar: Gradishar was the soul of the 1970s “Orange Crush,” in a time when defense was the main event in the NFL. Gradishar won the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 1978, was voted to seven Pro Bowls, was a first-team All-Pro in 1977 and 1978, and was a five-time All-Pro during his ten-year career. Players from his era with similar statistics (Robert Brazile 10 seasons/7 Pro Bowls, Jack Ham 12 seasons/8 Pro Bowls, Ted Hendricks 15 seasons/8 Pro Bowls, Jack Lambert 11 seasons/9 Pro Bowls) all reached the Hall of Fame. Gradishar may be helped by the Hall of Fame’s new Senior Committee policy, which will allow the committee to select a maximum of three players to the Hall of Fame for the next two years. Gradishar’s anxiously-awaited selection would right a serious wrong for all of Broncos Country.

Dan ReevesReeves was the head coach for three Broncos teams that went to the Super Bowl (the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons). Reeves is second all-time for the franchise in games coached and games won. He is fifth all-time in winning percentage in Denver history (.601). As a coach and player (he played as a halfback, the equivalent of today’s fullback/tight end), he appeared in nine Super Bowls. He is also in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. Reeves died in 2022.

Mike Shanahan: Shanahan’s Hall of Fame resume writes itself. He is the winningest coach in franchise history and helped Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway over the hump to win back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1997 and ’98 seasons. He developed multiple 1,000-yard rushers with the Broncos. He also has a third Super Bowl ring from his time as San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator (1992-94). Shanahan is a Broncos Ring of Fame member.

Alex GibbsGibbs coached the Broncos’ offensive line three different times, as offensive line coach (1984-1987, 1995-2003) and as an offensive line consultant (2013). Behind Gibbs’ lines, Denver had multiple 1,000-yard rushers in a season, and a historic 2,000-yard season from Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis in 1998. Gibbs was instrumental in helping protect an aging Elway in the twilight of his career and was a visionary in the world of zone-blocking schemes. Gibbs died in 2021.

The latest member of the Hall of Fame from the Broncos is former linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who is part of the Hall’s 2023 class.

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