This time, after Steve Foley is honored, he figures to have a lot more room when offered congratulations.

In October 2024, the former defensive back was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame. About 100 relatives showed up and surrounded him when his pillar outside Empower Field was unveiled at the end of the ceremony.

“Dave Logan (the Broncos radio play-by-play announcer who served as the emcee), said, ‘OK, the Foley family can move close to the statue so that it can be unveiled,’” Foley said. “He didn’t realize the whole place got up and moved over there. It was hilarious. I loved it.”

On Thursday night, Foley will be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame at the Hilton Denver City Center, and Logan will be co-emcee along with Broncos radio sideline reporter Susie Wargin. But an onslaught of Foley family members will not be on hand.

Riley Odoms and Steve Foley, right, appear at the Broncos Ring of Fame ceremony on Oct. 6, 2024. (Chris Tomasson, The Denver Gazette)

With Foley noting that tickets for the banquet are $250 apiece, he didn’t want some relatives to have to fork over that much along with any possible travel expenses. Foley, who has 12 siblings, said a bunch of nieces and nephews traveled from afar during Week 5 in 2024 to see his induction into the Ring of Fame and take in Denver’s 34-18 win over Las Vegas.

“The Hall of Fame gave us six tickets and the Broncos gave me a table of 10, so I just limited it to that,” Foley said. “A couple of other people will spend some money, so that should come to about 20 (relatives).”

That’s still enough for Foley, who played for the Broncos from 1976 to 1986 and remains their career leader with 44 interceptions, to get a good number of cheers.

“Just to be in that kind of company, it’s just a great honor,” Foley said of his induction.

Inducted along with Foley will be Nuggets guard Lafayette “Fat” Lever, University of Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart, tennis ace Beatriz “Gigi” Fernandez, Olympic runner Wendy Koenig and University of Denver basketball player Harry Hollines.

All the inductees learned last October that they would be enshrined.

Former Denver basketball star Harry Hollines will be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of University of Denver Athletics)

“It was a shock,” said Hollines, 80, who starred for the Pioneers from 1965 to 1968 and later was recreation director for the Denver Parks and Recreation Department for 34 years. “It felt great, but I didn’t expect it. It was quite a surprise.”

Hollines, who averaged a school-record 25.1 points in his three Denver seasons, didn’t deny he will be nervous when giving his speech.

“It will be a short and sweet speech,” he said.

Foley is expected in his speech to thank many former teammates. He was on the “Orange Crush” defense that helped lead Denver to the playoffs for the first time and to a Super Bowl berth in the 1977 season, when “Broncomania” reigned. The Broncos lost 27-10 to Dallas in Super Bowl XII.

“It’s a chance to reflect upon all the people that have been a part of my journey and that have helped me along the way,” Foley said. “It’s nice to be recognized but you didn’t play to be recognized necessarily because you had no idea when you started the longevity of what you were going to do and what impact you were going to have on the game. You were really just thinking of how you could be better and how you could impact your team and help your team win.”

Denver Broncos safety Steve Foley (43) in action during a game. (Courtesy of the Denver Broncos)

The New Orleans native was a quarterback at Tulane before he was selected in the eighth round of the 1975 draft by Denver. Foley became a defensive back with Jacksonville of the World Football League in 1975 before joining the Broncos the next season. He played both cornerback and safety on the “Orange Crush” defense.

“I’ve got to thank my fellow defensive backs, such as Louis Wright, Billy Thompson, Dennis Smith and Mike Harden,” Foley said. “They helped me make a craft out of it. I watched each of them and really learned to backpedal and how to cut. But having been a quarterback, I felt like I had good hands because you’re always handling the ball every play of every game.”

Foley used his good hands to grab those 44 interceptions, including three seasons with six. His team record still stands after 40 years.

“I am a little surprised it has lasted this long,” he said. “Somebody will come along but they’ll probably have to stay 10 years to break it.”

Foley was overshadowed at times by other members of the “Orange Crush” defense. Players from those teams previously enshrined in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame include Thompson, Wright, Smith, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson, and defensive lineman Barney Chavous.

“He’s one of the most underrated I think really, really great players the Broncos have had,” said Logan, Foley’s Denver teammate in 1984. “He sort of got lost a little bit because the defense was so prolific.”

Foley will be inducted into his second state shrine. He was welcomed into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

Former Denver Broncos defensive back Steve Foley addresses the fans after being inducted into the Empower Field at Mile High Ring of Fame during pregame of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)