Hall of Fame: 10 Broncos that should be enshrined

Aug 8, 2015, Canton, OH, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (left) and Bill Polian pose with the bust at the 2015 Pro Football Enshrinement Cermony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most prestigious honors in football is being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. However, the Denver Broncos are hardly represented there. Only five Broncos players are in the Hall of Fame. Names in Canton include John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Gary Zimmerman, Floyd Little, and Willie Brown. However, Willie Brown made most of his contributions to the team’s AFC West rival Oakland Raiders. So technically, there are four Broncos in the Hall of Fame.

It is safe to say that the Denver Broncos have been snubbed by voters in the Hall of Fame when it comes to enshrining their players. Other than the five names that are already in the Hall of Fame, there should be plenty more. However, for some reason, the players from the Denver Broncos do not get all the recognition that they deserve.

Some of these players might not have gotten that recognition due to where they stand among the other players in the NFL who have more recognizable names like Cris Carter. Others were simply not recognized because they do not have the numbers that stand up to the voters. No matter what the situation, it is strange to see so few Hall of Famers that played for the Broncos.

Looking at the team’s ring of fame list, there are quite a few players that deserve to have their bust in the Hall of Fame as well as some who’s careers were phenomenal during their time with the Broncos. Here are ten players that I believe should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There is no particular order for this list.

Rich Jackson

There are times where injuries will shorten a player’s career. Rich Jackson was one of those players. A knee injury that he suffered in 1971 would ultimately force him to step away from football. But rest assured that he was one of the best defensive players to play in the orange and blue.

Rich Jackson had huge numbers while playing in the NFL. That includes 10 sacks in a season during 1968 and 1970 and recording 11 sacks in 1969. Rich Jackson finished his career with 43 sacks, 31 of them in a three year period.

He also was an All-Pro twice and also twice on the All-AFL team. It is a shame that his career was cut short due to his injury. If it were not for that, Rich Jackson could have been one of the greatest Broncos defensive players in history.

Next: Karl Mecklenburg