Hayes once called Randy Gradishar "the best linebacker I ever coached at Ohio State." And Collier today says "Gradishar was probably the best linebacker I ever coached."

Randy Gradishar is regarded by former coaches as one of football's greatest linebackers. (Provided to SportsLine)

It's easy to understand why these two men felt so strongly about Gradishar. When he was at Ohio State from 1971-73, Gradishar piled up 320 tackles, a Buckeye record when he graduated, and now second-most of any player who only competed for three varsity seasons.

His collegiate career was recognized two years ago when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. There are many people who believe Gradishar's pro career should be duly recognized with a bust in Canton, Ohio.

In 10 years with the Broncos (1974-83), Gradishar never missed a game (145 straight), and he recorded 2,049 tackles, still a Broncos record. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, he was the NFL's defensive player of the year in 1978, a season during which he recorded 258 tackles. His 20 interceptions tie him for first place in Denver annals with Tom Jackson for most by a linebacker, and he also recovered 13 fumbles.

Gradishar fit perfectly into Denver's 3-4 scheme. He was a fast, mobile, physical linebacker who could weed through traffic to get to the ballcarrier, which was his prime responsibility.

"Usually in the 3-4, the linemen kind of sacrifice themselves to let the linebackers be the heroes," Collier said. "If you don't have a hero or a couple of them, you're probably not going to be a good 3-4 team. Randy was a hero.

"He was smart, a great tackler, didn't miss many tackles. You couldn't knock him down. People would be trying to knock him down low, go after his legs, but he'd jump over them without even looking at them. He had great, what I call 'avoidability' at getting around blocks and getting to the ballcarrier."

Another thing Collier loved about Gradishar was that he played hard, but he played clean.

"He wasn't one of those guys who'd spit in your face, but when he hit you, you knew you were hit," he said.

Of his legendary toughness, Gradishar said it was just a state of mind.

"I don't know it to be a medical fact, but I believe various people have various levels of pain tolerance," Gradishar said. "Pain tolerance is an issue for an individual person. And my position allowed me to play with a much more degree of pain than other positions. Skill-position players say, `I can't play because I can't run fast with a twinge in my leg.'

"As a linebacker, that's just kind of a given. You could play with a certain amount of pain whether it was a pulled muscle or something was throbbing or hurt. It was designated that you could bundle up your hands and still make a tackle. That's the way it was."

So every week, Gradishar taped himself up and played.

"He never missed a game, but he should have missed a few," Collier said. "But Randy was a warrior. He wasn't going to sit out."

Photo courtesy of the Denver Broncos