4. Greg Kragen
Draft: UNDRAFTED
Career with Denver: 1985-1993 (116 starts)
Pro Bowls: 1989
Super Bowl: XXI, XXII, XXIV
I have always loved an underdog story, and you won’t find a bigger underdog than the undrafted player who makes a team. And then there is Greg Kragen, who not only made the team, but earned a Pro Bowl trip, two All-Pro honors and started in three Super Bowls.
After going undrafted out of Utah State, Kragen tried out for the Broncos in 1984 but didn’t make the cut. Undeterred, he came back in ‘85 and won himself a roster spot. Last year, Joe Menzer caught up with Kragen and asked him about his unconventional beginning.
“Well, when I look back, first of all, I never thought I would make it. I heard all the ‘you’re too small, you’re too slow’ things. I probably believed them, but I just kept on playing,” Kragen said. “Having gone to my first training camp and competed and having made it to the last cut, I felt like, ‘Well, I’ve got a chance.’ So I went back and made it the next year. But even then, I never felt like I could relax.”
That mindset to always keep pushing earned him a spot on this list. His story could have only been sweeter had Denver come away with a victory in one of the three Super Bowls he started in, but, hey, you can’t have it all.
