CU Athletic Hall of Fame Profile: Daniel Graham

Editor's Note: It's Hall of Fame Week for Colorado Athletics! The 11-member Class of 2018 will be inducted on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Boedecker Gym in the CU Events Center, and will be recognized at Saturday's football game against Washington State at 1:30 p.m. Our second CU Athletic Hall of Fame Profile is Daniel Graham, All-American and winner of the 2001 John Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end.

When diving into the history of the tight end position at the University of Colorado, Daniel Graham is as decorated as they come.

He was the 2001 John Mackey Award winner as the nation's best tight end. He was a unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference performer. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, and member of the New England Patriots All-2000s Team.

And now, he is a member of the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame.

Those are just a few of Graham's proudest accolades he has collected over his career. As for his proudest, that came without a helmet and shoulder pads. It was 14 years after being selected in the first round the NFL Draft when he returned to Colorado and completed his goal of earning his college degree.

Graham had fallen just three classes short of his degree in Ethnic Studies when he pursed a career in the NFL after being drafted by the New England Patriots in 2002.

"I promised my mom I would come back and finish," Graham said. "To this day, one of the hardest things in my life was to come back and finish school. Everything had changed so much; there were computers. Everyone thought I was the professor on the first day; just the old dude in class."

Graham was much more than just "the old dude."

Before walking the campus at CU, Graham was named his high school's Most Inspirational Player while attending Thomas Jefferson in Denver. There he played linebacker, long snapper, placekicker all while becoming a standout prep tight end.

His talent, leadership, and ability to inspire others would eventually translate to Graham's success as a Colorado Buffalo.

Known to excel as a blocker, Graham initially played the H-back position his freshman year at Colorado before increasing his role as a pass catcher, converting into a complete tight end.

"I don't like the label blocking tight end," Graham said. "I was an all-purpose tight end. When I got to CU, Jon Embree was my position coach. He told me, 'If you want to be good in the National Football League, you have to learn how to block.' We focused so much on blocking. I think throughout college, learning how to block is what set me apart from the rest."

Graham's ability to both catch and block over his career at CU certainly set him apart from the rest.

By his senior season, Graham had become the nation's best tight and only the sixth unanimous All-American in CU history. He racked up 51 receptions for 753 yards and six touchdowns in 2001. Graham finished his collegiate career with 106 receptions for 1,543 yards and 11 touchdowns. He owns the record at Colorado for the most receptions and receiving yards amongst tight ends.

Transitioning to the NFL, Graham would soon be faced with challenge of blocking some of the best defenders the sport of football has ever seen when he began his 11-year pro career with the New England Patriots in 2002.

"My rookie season was tough," Graham said. "It was my hardest year in my football career. I was a first round pick to the defending Super Bowl champs. It was a learning process for me.

"I remember a conversation I had with Coach (Bill) Belichick. He told me if 'I can block Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel, I could block anyone.' Blocking Willie, someone stronger than me was such a challenge. Mike Vrabel taught me how to hold because he was so good. They helped me a lot as far as being a better tight end all around."

The Patriots finished 9-7 in Graham's rookie season but he would go on to win two Super Bowl rings with the team the next two seasons. In his final season with New England in 2006, Graham was named team captain.

Five years after being drafted, he returned to the state of Colorado to play for the Denver Broncos where his father, Tom Graham, was drafted in 1972.

"It was a special opportunity to come back," Graham said. "I grew up a Bronco fan. I remember my freshman year at CU, we were on The Hill celebrating when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. To come home to play for the Broncos after my father did was special. A lot of the friends and family that watched me play in high school and in college got to see me play professionally."

Graham will also be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April 2019, but his
Enshrinement into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame has a special meaning in the present.

"It is a big honor; it's a very big honor," Graham said. "When I look back at the five years I was at CU, out of every teammate I played with, (and I hope I am not the last), I am the first to be in the Hall of Fame. It is a huge honor. I never thought this would happen as a fast as it has. I never thought I would have to the college career or professional career that I had."

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