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Denver Broncos: Looking back at most unheralded players in team history

By Travis Wakeman

LOS ANGELES,CA-CIRCA 1986 Rulon Jones of the Denver Broncs against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Coliseum circa 1986 in Los Angeles,California. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES,CA-CIRCA 1986 Rulon Jones of the Denver Broncs against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Coliseum circa 1986 in Los Angeles,California. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos, Steve Watson
DENVER, CO: Steve Watson of the Denver Broncos circa 1987 catches a pass against the Seattle Seahawks at Mile High Stadium in DEnver, Colorado. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /

The Denver Broncos have a rich history full of success.

It’s not just fans bragging. The Broncos really have been one of the league’s most storied and successful franchises since coming over from the AFL. Though it certainly didn’t start out successfully, the team created a winning tradition that is better than most of the other 31 franchises.

Much of that credit should go Pat Bowlen. It was Bowlen’s vision after purchasing the team to become a competitive, well-run organization and the success followed.

Fans are aware of the great John Elway, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Before Elway, players such as Floyd Little and Randy Gradishar paved the way for future stars to wear the orange and blue.

Terrell Davis put forth some of the best seasons we have ever seen out of a running back and players such as Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith were as good as it got during their prime.

In more recent years, Peyton Manning broke records in  Denver and Von Miller became perhaps the best defensive player that ever donned a Broncos uniform. Then of course there were other Hall of Famers along the way such as Gary Zimmerman and Champ Bailey.

The Broncos have had some tremendous players come through the pipes but the compete story of the franchise can’t be told without some of the  players that didn’t make as many headlines but were strong contributors to the overall success of the franchise.

I have identified six such players who are rarely mentioned among the best that ever played in Denver, but should certainly be remembered for their great contributions.

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