Randy Gradishar

NFLretired


caption=Gradishar in 2003.
position=Linebacker
number=53
birthdate=birth date and age|1952|3|3
Warren, Ohio
debutyear=1974
finalyear=1983
draftyear=1974
draftround=1
draftpick=14
college=Ohio State
teams=
* Denver Broncos (1974-1983)
stat1label=Sacks
stat1value=20.5
stat2label=Interceptions
stat2value=20
stat3label=Tackles
stat3value=2,049
nfl=GRA066822
highlights=
* 7x Pro Bowl selection (1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983)
* 8x All-Pro selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
* 7x All-AFC selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983)
* 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
* 2x Denver Broncos MVP (1978, 1980)
* 2x All-American (1972, 1973)
* Denver Broncos Ring of Fame
* Ohio State Varsity Hall of Fame
* Ohio State Football All-Century Team
* 20/20 Club
HOF=
CollegeHOF=70046

Randy Charles Gradishar (born March 3, 1952 in Warren, Ohio) is a former college and professional American football linebacker who played in the 1970s and 1980s. Randy Gradishar is currently the Director of Corporate Communications for the Phil Long Dealerships in Colorado. Phil Long is the largest privately owned car dealer group in Colorado. [ [http://phillong.squarespace.com/randy-gradishar-visits-troops-/ Gradishar Visits Troops, Phil Long.com] ]

High school career

Gradishar is a 1970 graduate of Champion High School, Champion, Ohio. During his high school career, Randy lettered all three years in both football and basketball. As a high school football player, Randy received honors including All-League, All-County, and the Star Helmet Award.

In basketball he was the leading rebounder for three years and the second leading scorer for two years, receiving All-League and All-County honors. Randy holds the high school records for most blocked shots (44), single game rebounds (26), and most career rebounds (817).

In 2004 Randy was inducted into the Champion High School Hall of Fame for Athletics. He was presented by his former high school coach, Al Carrino. [http://championlocal.org/scp.php?p=286 Hall of Fame for Athletics 2004 Inductees] , Champion Local School District]

College career

Gradishar, who graduated with a degree in Distributive Education, was a three-year starter with the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1971 to 1973. Former Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes called Gradishar "the best linebacker I ever coached". [cite web|url=http://ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/greats/osu-m-footbl-gradishar.html|title=Randy Gradishar|work=ohiostatebuckeyes.com|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070313075853/http://ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/greats/osu-m-footbl-gradishar.html|archivedate=2007-03-13] He made 134 tackles in his senior year, 60 of them solo, to lead the team.cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908338-1,00.html|title="TIME"'s All-America Team: Pick of the Pros|work=TIME|date=1973-12-17] His former coach Dan Reeves said about Gradishar, "He was as good a linebacker as I have ever been around, and I have been around some great ones. He was a leader without question of our defense while I was with Denver. He was an exceptional football player. I had a great deal of respect for him when I was at Dallas before I ever went to Denver. After I arrived in Denver and saw what kind of a leader he was my respect for him grew. He never missed a game and was a dominant force on the field. The opposing team always had to take him into account when they devised their game plans."

Randy Gradishar was called, "the heart and soul of the original Orange Crush defense. He was the centerpiece of Joe Collier's 3-4 and the glue that held a ragtag bunch of degenerates and hand-me-downs (I mean that in a good way) together." [cite news|url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5036887,00.html|title=A glaring omission|work=Rocky Mountain News] "Pro Football Weekly" 's personnel scout Joel Buchsbaum wrote that "there are quite a few scouts who will tell you that former Broncos ILB Randy Gradishar was almost as good, even as good, as Jack Lambert" and "unlike Lambert, Gradishar was not a flashy headhunter, just a great anticipator who was a deadly tackler and great short-yardage defender". [cite news|url=http://archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/features_1999/buchsbaum_091399.asp|title=Will Canton be calling?|work=Pro Football Weekly]

When naming the top linbeackers ever, Buchsbaum wrote, concerning Gradishar, "Maybe the smartest and most underrated ever. Had rare instincts, was faster than Lambert and very effective in short-yardage and goal-line situations. The fact he is not in the Hall of Fame is a shame and may be attributed to the fact he was a sure tackler but not a lights-out hitter or look-at-me type of player." [cite news|url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Features/NFL+Features/2002/linebackers1718.htm|title=Linebacker legends: PFW’s personnel analyst lists his top linebackers of all time|work=Pro Football Weekly] In 2006 was named by Riddell author Jonathan Rand as one of the Top 25 linbackers of all-time. [cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yAk84QmWzrgC&pg=RA1-PR11&lpg=RA1-PR11&dq=%22randy+gradishar%22&source=web&ots=mGDRPWKPKU&sig=n8fGLpv18Catli0PO2QKC89rC90|title=Riddell Presents the Gridiron's Greatest Linebackers|author=Jonathan Rand|first=Jonathan|last=Rand]

"Pro Football Weekly" published these comments collected from NFL scouts, "Superior diagnostician with exception strength, balance, tackling form and very good lateral mobility. Not as flashy or brutal as some ILBs but means almost as much to Denver's defense as Walter Payton does to Chicago's offense" and "Is most dominant defender in AFC when healthy. Although not as brutal as Butkus or Bergey, he's strong at the point of attack, does a superb job of playing off blocks and getting to the ball, gets good depth on his pass drops and is consistently excellent" [http://phillong.squarespace.com/2004-fact-sheet/ Phil Long.com] ]

Zander Hollander, who wrote "The Complete Handbook of Pro Football", said about Gradishar, "Not as nasty as Butkus, doesn't snarl like Lambert, but Gradishar makes all the plays. Hey, he can hit, too. Just ask Saints' Henry Childs, after Gradishar knocked his helmet off, "It was the first in my career like that, in the open field". Gradishar's hitting ability was a sentiment echoed in Rick Korch's book, "The Truly Great". In it Tony Dorsett recalled the hit Gradishar gave him in a 1980 game, "I ran a pass pattern and was wide open but Danny White did not see me. I go back to the huddle and tell Danny that I am wide open. I ran the same route again but this time I was almost decapitated. My eyes were only partially open when I hit the ground. Trainers and doctors came running onto the field. They thought I was dead. Hey, I thought I was dead, too." Hall of Fame defensive lineman Dan Hampton remembers asking the Walter Payton, "Walter, who gave you the hardest hit you ever took in the NFL?". According to Hampton, Payton replied, "Randy Gradishar, 1978". In 1981 "SPORT" magazine named Gradishar one of the Top 5 hardest hitters in the NFL, quoting the modest Gradishar, "The chance for a real good shot comes very seldom, but when it's there I take full advantage of it".

NFL Films' Steve Sabol said this about Gradishar, "His range separated him from others at his position. A sure and determined tackler, he was also an excellent pass defender. He had special qualities in terms of intelligence, preparation and athletic ability. His “play anticipation” was the best in football. He had a great ability to square his body into the ball carrier at the moment of impact; which made him an incredible performer on third or fourth and short.” [http://phillong.squarespace.com/quotes-received-from-nfl-play/ ibid] ] Detroit Lions General Manager and fellow inside linebacker Matt Millen added, “Randy Gradishar was one of the most productive players I’ve watched. He was always around the ball, rarely out of position, and constantly making plays. Linebackers are difficult to evaluate because there is a lack of statistics. But someone like a Randy Gradishar was easy to judge because of what he produced.”

Mike Giddings of Pro Scout, Inc., added that "Gardishar could cover the "Y" flat on a weakside linebacker blitzed. In recent times only Gradishar and Lambert could to that". Additionally, coach Joe Collier would have a unique coverage on a strong-side blitz in which Gradishar, the right inside linebacker would be responsiple to cover the tight end, man-to-man, on any "up" route in the in the "seam", which would be on the opposite side of the formation. To do so he would have to take the exact angle to get proper depth while going across the field and an angle, According to Giddings, Gradishar "could, and did".

In January, 2008, he was voted by a panel of former NFL players and coaches to "Pro Football Weekly" 's All-Time 3-4 defensive team along with Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Andre Tippett, Howie Long, Lee Roy Selmon, and Curley Culp. [cite news|url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/PFW+Online/Volume+22+-+2007/Issue29_view.htm|title=Volume 22 Issue 29|work=Pro Football Weekly]

Gradishar retired after the 1983 season, finishing his career with over 2,000 tackles and 20 interceptions, which he returned for 335 yards and four touchdowns. He also recovered 13 fumbles, returning them for 72 yards and one touchdown. He also recorded 20 sacks according to Bronco team records. [ [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=272 Randy Gradishar] , Professional Football Hall of Fame.] Since his retirement, he has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame several times, but has yet to be enshrined. He was among the 15 finalists in 2003 and 2008, and made the top 25 list in 2005 and 2007. The closest he came to induction was the day before the 2003 Super Bowl, when he made it to list of final ten. [cite news|url=http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/26/sports/story1.html|title=Allen heads list of newly inducted legends|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin] [cite news|url=http://cgi.cnnsi.com/inside_game/dr_z/news/2003/01/29/drz_insider/|title=West Coast offensive: Super Bowl trip featured fine food, company and coaching|work=Sports Illustrated]

Gradishar was inducted to the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 1989. Inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. [ [http://www.coloradosports.org/themuseum.cfm History] , Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.]

Post NFL Activities

*Has made several trips to the Middle East, visiting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as visiting Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. [ [http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=2415 Gradishar Visits Troops in Iraq] , DenverBroncos.com.] [cite news|url=http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/05/07/story11.html|title=Randy Gradishar, other NFL alumni visit troops abroad|work=Denver Business Journal|publisher=American City Business Journals] [ [http://www.komencs.org/StarsTeams.aspx Celebrity Teams] , Susan G. Komen for the Cure]
*Was president of the Denver Broncos Youth Foundation from 1982-92 [ [http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=838 Randy Gradishar] , DenverBroncos.com.]
*Served on the NFL Players Special Advisory Council from 1992-1995. [http://phillong.squarespace.com/randy-gradishars-post-nfl-high/ Phil Long.com] ]
*Has a left ring finger shaped like the number "7". [cite news|url=http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_6781441|title=Price of playing the game|work=The Denver Post]
*Was sympathetic to college coach Woody Hayes when he punched a player in the 1978 Gator Bowl. Gradishar knew Hayes would be fired but stated publicly that "We all go off the deep end sometimes. Woody just happened to do it in front of millions of people." Gradishar empasized the positive aspects of Hayes, "Every time you talked to him, it was, 'How are you doing in school, when are you going to graduate, are you going to be a doctor or a lawyer?'" [cite news|url=http://www.cincypost.com/2003/12/30/hayes12-30-2003.html|title=Punch tarnished Hayes' career|author=Chris Dufresne|first=Chris|last=Dufresne|work=The Cincinnati Post (Los Angeles Times)|publisher=E. W. Scripps Company|date=2003-12-30|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070127212006/http://www.cincypost.com/2003/12/30/hayes12-30-2003.html|archivedate=2007-01-27]
*Worked with Promise Keepers in Denver from 1994-97.
*Participated in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure celebrity race to raise awareness and funds for research into curing breast cancer. [cite news|url=http://www.krdotv.com/Global/story.asp?s=6992835|title=Broncos Legend a Big Supporter of Race for the Cure|work=KDRO-TV]
*Serves as an Honorary Chair for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. [ [http://www.komencs.org/HonoraryChairs.aspx 2008 Honorary Chairs] , Susan G. Komen for the Cure.]
*Is president of the Phil Long Community Fund, a non-profit organization that provides financial resources to help champion self-esteem and the leadership of young people through excellence in education, sports, and recreation.
*Known for wearing a rare Riddell mask that "Helmet Hut" expert Dr. DelRye thought was one of the few Riddell models that "looked cool". [ [http://www.helmethut.com/011305.html Letters] , Helmet Hut.]

References