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How Denver Broncos NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar has family ties to Pueblo

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How Denver Broncos NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar has family ties to Pueblo


Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar learned of his Pueblo ties on January 29, 1974 — the same day he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Gradishar had just capped off his senior season at the Ohio State University with a 42-21 Rose Bowl victory over the USC Trojans. Denver Broncos coach John Ralston called the consensus All-American linebacker to inform him that he was the Broncos’ choice for the 14th pick in the draft.

“After I hung up with Coach Ralston, I called home and talked to mom and dad,” Gradishar told the Chieftain. “At the end of the conversation… I find out that my father was born in Pueblo.”

Here’s how the Broncos legend stays connected to the Steel City decades after his retirement from football.

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‘Orange Crush’ linebacker maintains relationship with city of father’s birth

Gradishar’s father Jim grew up in the Eilers neighborhood near the corner of Mesa and Egan avenues. Jim, his parents and his siblings moved to northeast Ohio during the Great Depression. However, their cousins remained in Pueblo.

Like Pueblo, the northeast Ohio cities of Warren and Youngstown were steel manufacturing cities. While his siblings worked in steel, Jim started a grocery store in Champion Township north of Warren after returning from World War II. Randy was born in 1952 and began working at his father’s grocery store at age 11.

“I just know in my heart that it was all God-directed the way it was going because I didn’t even start playing football until ninth grade,” Gradishar said. “We ended up my senior year with like 25 guys on the football team… My high school football coach sent out films for me and then all of a sudden, I got recruited by a few schools.”

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Gradishar tallied 320 total tackles — 155 solo and 165 assisted — at Ohio State between 1971 and 1973, according to a 2022 Ohio State football media guide. He was named to the consensus All-American team twice and finished sixth in the 1973 Heisman Trophy voting.

When Gradishar began playing for the Broncos, his parents — Jim and Ann Gradishar — often flew to Denver to watch their son at Mile High Stadium before driving down to Pueblo and catching up with Jim’s cousins. Randy got the chance to visit the Pueblo Gradishars during the offseason.

Around the time of the 1977 NFL season — the season the Broncos made their first Super Bowl appearance — Gradishar and a few Broncos teammates worked with former University of Southern Colorado Coach Mike Friedman to organize a five-day football camp in Pueblo.

It was at the camp in Pueblo that Gradishar encountered a surname just one letter off from his own — Gradisar. Gradishar didn’t think much of the similar spelling at first but eventually found out that the two families are distantly related.

The names Gradisar and Gradishar both come from the Slovenian name Gradišar with the “š” sounding like an “sh,” according to Ben Gradishar, a Pueblo resident and a second cousin once removed to the Hall of Fame linebacker.

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“We’re all ‘Gradisars’ but we inadvertently got an ‘h’ added at Ellis Island in the 1880s… Now there is ‘Gradisars’ and ‘Gradishars,’” Ben Gradishar told the Chieftain.

All ten of Randy Gradishar’s NFL seasons were played with the Denver Broncos. He retired with 2,049 tackles, seven Pro Bowl appearances and the 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. He also grabbed 20 career interceptions and recovered 14 fumbles.

Gradishar is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. He will be enshrined with fellow inductees Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis at a ceremony on Aug. 3.

Post-retirement, Gradishar has kept busy working in public relations with Phil Long Dealerships but said he makes visits to Pueblo “relatively often.”

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“That was pretty special knowing that there is family here and having the opportunity to know them as cousins,” Gradishar said. “Having that connection, again, goes way back to 1974 knowing that I was coming to Denver, Colorado and that my father was born in Pueblo.”

New PCC President: Chato Hazelbaker selected as next president of Pueblo Community College

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com



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Denver, CO

Packers monitoring their backfield entering key game in Denver

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Packers monitoring their backfield entering key game in Denver


True to form, Jacobs pushed to practice but said team doctors told him to chill and be smart about it. The goal is to reduce the inflammation as much as possible to increase his chances of playing.

In his pre-practice news conference on Thursday, Head Coach Matt LaFleur praised Jacobs for “doing everything in his power to get ready to go.” From his perspective, Jacobs said he feels more relief than frustration.

“I’ve been in this league a long time, and it’s not too much that really gets me discouraged or anything like that,” Jacobs said.

“We still know what’s ahead of us. Now, if we were having this going into the playoffs, it would be a little weird, but at that point I wouldn’t care because it’s either do or don’t. But for me, I know my body, there’s nothing structurally wrong, so I don’t feel like it’s something I have to overly think about.”

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If Jacobs can’t go Sunday, Wilson would be in line to make his second NFL start against the team with whom he broke into the league back in 2023.

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of NCAA Division II Fort Valley State (Ga.), Wilson spent just three days with the Broncos before he was released. Ten days later, he signed with the Packers and later made the team’s 53-man roster.

The 5-foot-10, 226-pound Wilson has since rushed for 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 carries (4.6 yards per carry) in 37 games, highlighted by a gratifying career day against Minnesota a few weeks ago.

“I still got that mentality to go out there and do it again,” Wilson said. “If (Jacobs) is going, he’s going. If I get my opportunity once again, I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Whoever starts against Denver understands the challenge its defense presents. In addition to the Broncos pacing the NFL with 55 sacks, they also boast a No. 2-ranked run defense that’s allowing just 89.0 yards per game.

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Denver hasn’t allowed a running back to gain more than 100 yards since Jonathan Taylor’s 165-yard effort powered Indianapolis to a 29-28 victory in Week 2.

As much as Jacobs enjoys practicing, he doesn’t feel it’s a requirement in order for him to play in Denver. It all comes down to how his body is feeling and whether the team doctors give him the green light on Sunday afternoon.

“I always plan to play,” Jacobs said. “They gotta kinda tell me I can’t play for me not to play. For me, that’s where my head is at, but I’m also realistically just day-to-day right now.”



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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs

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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs


Community Guidelines

Welcome to Denver Stiffs! We’re glad you’re here.

Denver Stiffs is a community where sports fans from all backgrounds gather to share their passion. We strive to create a fun and welcoming place for everyone to come fan with us. These guidelines help ensure that happens. Here’s the short version:

  • Be respectful in your interactions with contributors and fellow fans.
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  • We’ll remove anything we see that jeopardizes our communities.
  • We ask that you do your best to keep the conversation to sports and primarily our favorite NBA team. Why? Because there are plenty of other sites where you can air your opinions about everything from politics to soup recipes.
  • You can help with that. If you see something that doesn’t align with our guidelines, let us know. Flag any comments or usernames that violate our guidelines so our community managers can review them.

These rules extend to our communities everywhere: in our comments, on social media, and in real life.

We do not allow any of the following:

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  • Personal attacks: This includes name-calling, insults, threats, hurtful comments about someone’s appearance, voice, or style, and all other forms of attacks. We want our communities to be welcoming and fun. Personal attacks are the opposite of that.
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  • The “first post” rule: If you break any of these guidelines with your very first post or interaction, it signals to our community managers you’re just here to be disruptive. Violators may be banned, blocked, or removed.
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Anyone who doesn’t follow these rules when engaging in our communities will at best be removed from the conversation, and at worst will end up banned from that community. These decisions will be made at the discretion of our community managers and other Mile High Sports personnel. Community managers and moderators have final say on interpretation of violating our community guidelines, and on all decisions resulting in a warning, suspension, and/or ban.

If you see any of these things happening in our communities, please flag it and it will be reviewed. You can also reach out via our contact page.



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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine

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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine


When: Dec 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown: 

Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.





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