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Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar: Pioneer of Broncos success

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The floor-to-ceiling trophy case in the lobby of the Broncos' suburban Denver complex glitters with the franchise's history.

Among the awards and signposts of the team's journey from 1960 to now are eight AFC Championship trophies and three Lombardi trophies commemorating their Super Bowl titles. But before they became one of five franchises to make at least eight Super Bowl trips, before coaches Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan won piles of games, and before quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning took snaps, there was the launch pad.

There was 1977.

"That season, that year, that group, that was kind of the start of how people think about the Broncos," former Broncos cornerback Louis Wright said.