Steve Atwater
Written by: Cody Roark (Staff Writer)
There are currently 8 safeties that are in the NFL Hall of Fame. Ken Houston, Paul Krause, Yale Lary, Ronnie Lott (also a CB), Mel Renfro, Emlen Tunnell, Larry Wilson, and Willie Wood. The next safety that belongs on that list is the legendary Steve Atwater.
He spent 10 seasons with the Denver Broncos before becoming a Jet at the end of his career. The position of safety over the years has evolved, but the nature of the position has remained the same.
Destruction, Seek and Destroy. With laser like precision, Atwater exemplified what the position meant. Atwater was a hitman in shoulder pads. He was a force to be reckoned with in the passing game, but opposing runningbacks feared #27. He accumulated a total of 1074 tackles, 5 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and 24 interceptions.
Arguably, his best game came when Denver needed the magic the most. He dominated the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII which helped John Elway and the Broncos win their first ever Super Bowl title.Terrell Davis also believes next to join him in the Hall of Fame should be Pat Bowlen, and Atwater.
There is no argument here. For younger fans who may not have grasped how important Atwater was for the Broncos organization, head back through the archives of his career and to Super Bowl XXXII. Keep your eye on #27 the entire time! He deserves to be the next Bronco into the Hall of Fame.