Mason's Mailbag: Gary Zimmerman a true Broncos Hall of Famer

[Miles]

Do you consider Gary Zimmerman to be a Broncos Hall of Famer? Nobody really includes him in the conversation, so if he isn’t, who is the first Broncos O-lineman that makes the HoF?


-- Chris (@badstonevader via Twitter)


Who is this "nobody" to whom you refer? I've never heard of Zimmerman not being considered a Bronco in the Hall of Fame. While he had more seasons in Minnesota (seven) than Denver (five), he was a part of a Super Bowl winner with the Broncos, and the discrepancy between his two NFL stints isn't great enough to cause the scales to be tipped in one direction or the other. Thus, he is a Hall of Famer as both a Bronco and a Viking. Furthermore, the fact that he chose Owner Pat Bowlen to introduce him at the 2008 Hall of Fame ceremony cements the esteem in which Zimmerman held the Broncos and their presence in his career.


Champ Bailey is probably the best cornerback I have ever seen. His 2006 season is insane and arguably, deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year. That being said, Randy Gradishar or Steve Atwater should have been the first Broncos defender to enter the HoF. Can fans do anything to help them?


-- Jose Borrero


Short of unearthing more data regarding either Gradishar or Atwater, there isn't much that can be done. That said, Atwater made the cut from 15 finalists to 10 last February, and seems to have momentum in his corner. I don't think it's a matter of "if," but "when."


There are 43 players eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame induction who played at least nine seasons and were selected to the Pro Bowl or AFL All-Star Game in at least 70 percent of their seasons. Atwater is the only one of the 43 who is not in the Hall of Fame. (Three were added in the 2019 class: Champ Bailey, Tony Gonzalez and Ed Reed.) Atwater is also one of just two players from the All-1990s team on offense or defense who is not yet in the Hall. (The other is LeRoy Butler, another safety who deserves enshrinement.)


As for Gradishar, Hall of Fame President David Baker has noted the potential for an additional group of senior Hall of Fame inductees in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the NFL's first season. Gradishar would seem to be a slam-dunk choice, especially given that Hall of Famers Harry Carson (New York Giants) and Robert Brazile (Houston Oilers) played in the same era and have similar resumes.