Riley Odoms, ‘The Judge,’ should have been in Ring of Fame ages ago

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — This week, “The Judge,” a.k.a. Riley Odoms, finally got the verdict he long deserved: membership in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

And like his fellow 2024 Ring of Fame inductee, long-time teammate Steve Foley — as well as a few other legendary Broncos, such as edge rusher Simon Fletcher, receiver and returner Rick Upchurch and coach Red Miller, the wait was far too long. All of them were among the Broncos who found themselves caught in a shuffle for decades before finally joining the team’s most-exclusive club.

Odoms was a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time first-team All-Pro selection. That put him in an exclusive Broncos club: one of just 13 players with at least three Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro nods since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

One of those 13 players isn’t eligible for the Ring of Fame: Von Miller, who remains active for the Buffalo Bills. And of the other 12, just two — Odoms and 2008-15 left tackle Ryan Clady — were not yet in the Ring of Fame.

Clady’s wait hasn’t yet been that long; he only became eligible in 2022. But Odoms became eligible in 1989 … and his wait became Taylor Swift’s lifespan.

“It’s been some time,” Odoms said on the day the Broncos informed him of the induction.

“… I’m happy that there’s no waiting anymore.”

The waiting shouldn’t have lasted that long, but now, a tight end whose 240-pound frame invoked fear in opposing defenders when he rumbled downfield will achieve immortality among Broncos legends.

WHY THEY CALLED RILEY ODOMS “THE JUDGE”

“We called him ‘The Judge’ for reason,” said longtime Broncos safety and cornerback Steve Foley, who will share Ring of Fame induction weekend with Odoms this October.

“He was judge and jury when he caught a pass. He would punish a defensive back. We gave him that nickname. He was a vicious tight end, as well as a great blocker and pass receiver.”

Back in the day, they called Broncos Ring of Fame tight end Riley Odoms “The Judge."

“We called him ‘The Judge’ for a reason,” fellow 2024 Ring of Famer Steve Foley said. “He was judge & jury when he caught a pass. He would punish a defensive back…He was a vicious tight end.” pic.twitter.com/eLnQ2uCsGl

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) June 1, 2024

“Craig Morton started that,” said Odoms, referring to the Ring of Fame quarterback who joined the team in 1977, the year the Broncos will celebrate this fall.

“If I could get to that sideline, then I’m getting to that end zone. There was nobody that was going to stop me or push me out on my routes or on anything down that sideline. I just looked for that goal line.”

Odoms and his 240-pound frame would be right at home in the NFL today. In the 1970s, with most tight ends at least 20 pounds lighter, he was a colossal mismatch when he veered into the open field.

But it wasn’t always his spot. In high school, tight end was one of four positions he played — which included quarterback. But he found his home at the position during his matriculation at the University of Houston. Tight end — like Denver itself — became a perfect fit for Odoms.

One of the Broncos’ two newest Ring of Famers, Riley Odoms, talks about revolutionizing the TE position in the 1970s. A high-school QB/WR/TE/LB, Odoms also explains how legendary @UHCougarFB coach Bill Yeoman got him on campus and said, “You are a tight end, no other position.” pic.twitter.com/HNyVCywG5F

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) June 1, 2024

“I feel great because I always loved playing in Colorado,” Odoms said. “I loved the fans, and I never had an opportunity to just tell them how thankful I was to play for them.”

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