Why Al Wilson belongs in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame

Certain things seem to yield a sure-fire ticket to the Broncos Ring of Fame.

Take making five Pro Bowls or AFL All-Star Games as a Bronco. Thirteen players pulled that trick during their time with the team. One isn’t yet eligible for the Ring of Fame, but will be a lock when his day comes: Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. Of the other 12, 11 are in the Broncos’ most exclusive club.

One is not: Al Wilson.

The fact that he has a first-team All-Pro nod on his ledger adds to the curiosity of his absence. All things being equal, Wilson should have had his name on the 500-level facade at Empower Field at Mile High a decade ago.

But things were not equal for Wilson, whose ferocious play was surpassed only by his fervent, impassioned pre-game speeches. Laced with colorful metaphors, they were the product of a player who took it upon himself to make sure every player in a Broncos uniform was as stoked for the game as he was.

Truth was, Wilson’s reach and vision went beyond the locker room. He wanted to ensure EVERYONE was ready to go and a part of crafting success. He’s the kind of guy who would see a team employee walking along the side of the road to get to work when his car broke down, and would quickly pull over and give ’em a ride.

I can say this because that’s exactly what happened to me one gray morning. Wilson is that dude.

He was a middle linebacker in every way. He worked in the heart of the defense — and he was the beating heart of the unit.

And yet, nearly 17 years after his final Broncos game, he remains unhonored. It has everything to do with how his time in Denver concluded.

The end of Wilson’s career was not as anyone wanted it. He dealt with neck issues late in the 2006 season, which turned out to be his last one in the NFL. Wilson subsequently claimed that a neurosurgeon working with the team, Dr. Chad Prusmack, was negligent in not prescribing surgery for an injury Wilson suffered in Week 13 of the 2006 campaign.

As a result of the injury, Wilson failed a physical with the New York Giants four months later, scuttling a trade that would have put him on a team that ended that year winning Super Bowl XLII.

Wilson filed a lawsuit, which he lost in 2011. Five years later, when participating in a Reddit AMA session, Wilson didn’t mince words about how he felt regarding the Broncos, responding that he missed Denver and that he “did cheer for the team but I could give two s***s about the organization.”

But just two years after that, Wilson’s tone softened. He returned to what is now known as Centura Health Training Center at the invitation of team executive Patrick Smyth. During that visit, he did media rounds, including an interview in which I took part.

I asked him how it would feel if he eventually joined the Ring of Fame.

A wisp of emotion tinged Wilson’s voice when he replied.

“It’s something that would be special if it were to happen,” he said. “It would definitely be something that I would totally be grateful for the rest of my life.”

Even that day, it was apparent that it was time to bury the issues, let bygones be bygones, and put Wilson in his rightful place with the franchise’s greats. A few years later, he’s still waiting.

The Broncos won’t induct anyone into the Ring of Fame this year. There are justifiable reasons for hitting the pause button, especially after a flurry of inductions in the last decade.

But I can’t help but think the committee got it wrong by not ending Wilson’s wait. Especially when he’s the only eligible 5-time Pro Bowler in Broncos history who hasn’t been honored.

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