Denver Native (Carol)
05-31-2017, 01:57 PM
Tom Graham, a former Broncos linebacker drafted by the team in 1972, passed away Tuesday in Denver after complications from brain cancer. He was 67.
A standout linebacker at Oregon, Graham became the Ducks’ all-time leading tackler (433), which included a single-season record of 206 tackles in 1969. Graham was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2001 and drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round of the 1972 draft.
He spent the first two-and-a-half years of his seven-year NFL career in Denver (1972-74) before moving on to play with the Chiefs (1974), Chargers (1975-77) and Bills (1978).
As a Broncos rookie in ’72, Graham led the team with 73 total tackles to go with three sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The following year, he again led with 95 total tackles, while adding a sack and a fumble recovery.
His time as a Bronco ended before the original Orange Crush took foot. But Graham, a long-time member of the team’s alumni association and the father of former Broncos tight end Daniel Graham, never let his colors fade. What most remember about Tom Graham was not his on-field play, but his character off.
rest - http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/31/tom-graham-dies-67/
A standout linebacker at Oregon, Graham became the Ducks’ all-time leading tackler (433), which included a single-season record of 206 tackles in 1969. Graham was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2001 and drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round of the 1972 draft.
He spent the first two-and-a-half years of his seven-year NFL career in Denver (1972-74) before moving on to play with the Chiefs (1974), Chargers (1975-77) and Bills (1978).
As a Broncos rookie in ’72, Graham led the team with 73 total tackles to go with three sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The following year, he again led with 95 total tackles, while adding a sack and a fumble recovery.
His time as a Bronco ended before the original Orange Crush took foot. But Graham, a long-time member of the team’s alumni association and the father of former Broncos tight end Daniel Graham, never let his colors fade. What most remember about Tom Graham was not his on-field play, but his character off.
rest - http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/31/tom-graham-dies-67/