The Lead
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week is upon us, and Broncos' legend Randy Gradishar will take his place in Canton this weekend.
Gradishar will be the first member of the iconic 1977 "Orange Crush" defense to be inducted, but strongly believes he should not be the last.
Sean Keeler of The Denver Post recently spoke with Gradishar about who else he believes is deserving of this recognition, and former Broncos' cornerback Louis Wright was at the top of the list.
"He was a shutdown cornerback," Gradishar said. "And the reality of it is, you never hear his name being considered for that."
Wright's Ring of Fame career was highlighted by five Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro team selections. During his 12 years in Denver, the Broncos posted a winning record nine times, won four division titles and earned two Super Bowl appearances.
"Wright was the Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey and Pat Surtain II of his day, the defender who erased half the field, the blanket who took an offense's WR1 out of the equation," Keeler wrote. "… Drafted in 1975, Wright's arrival coincided with the Broncos' rise as a franchise, a bridge between the Orange Crush's heyday and the Elway Era."
Wright is remembered by many for his speed on the field, often outrunning anyone that he crossed paths with. He ran collegiate track and field at San Jose State and once clocked 9.6 seconds in the 100-meter dash.
Gradishar believes this speed deterred many from sending the ball Wright's way, a testament to his talent and dominance on the field. Even so, Wright managed to record 26 career interceptions along with 360 career interception return yards.
"Louis is definitely being overlooked, for sure," Gradishar said. "He's not getting the recognition he deserves. … People didn't go his way very often. And that in and of itself should lead to media and other people saying, 'This guy must be pretty good.'"
As Gradishar now looks forward to his enshrinement on Aug. 3, he hopes that Wright, and many others, will soon join him.
"We started a heritage, the lineage for the Broncos with our defense, and then [were followed by] the John Elway Era and all that," Gradishar said. "But it's been quite a long time. And [good] to finally get a little bit of attention. … Hopefully, the conversations [about them] will begin with some of the other names that come up each year."
For more on Wright and the "Orange Crush" defense, click here to read Keeler's article.
