For nine days, a secret was held by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then for 13 more days, another secret was kept.

Everything finally was revealed Thursday night when former Broncos star linebacker Randy Gradishar was announced as a member of the Hall of Fame’s class of 2024 at NFL Honors in Las Vegas, site of Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII between Kansas City and San Francisco.

“It was a long time coming,” Gradishar said. “But I’m so grateful to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I’m just very excited. It’s a fantastic feeling.”

There were plenty of other emotions involved for Gradishar before he finally was named to the Canton, Ohio, shrine as a senior finalist. Gradishar starred for the Broncos from 1974-83 and first became eligible for the Hall in 1989, meaning he had a 35-year wait.

Perhaps some of the most trying days of waiting came last month.

Gradishar, 71, was named in August one of three finalists by the senior committee, but still needed to get 80% of the vote on a yes-no ballot by the 50-member Hall of Fame selection committee to be inducted. The committee met on an all-day Zoom call Jan. 17, and Gradishar got the required number of votes but didn’t know it at the time.

“We received a call from the Hall of Fame that evening and they said to stand by, and we would be getting another call,’’ said Gradishar’s wife, Beth Gradishar.

The Gradishars continued to wait and didn’t hear again from the Hall of Fame. Then on Jan. 21, they received a call from the Broncos saying Greg Penner and wife Carrie Walton Penner, owners of the team, wanted to meet with them Jan. 26 at the Centura Health Training Center.

“They said Greg and Carrie Penner would like to talk to you and find out more about the ‘Orange Crush,'” said Gradishar, referring to the legendary defense the Broncos had during his playing days. “No mention about Hall of Fame or anything.’’

The offer was accepted, and Gradishar was prepared to talk about the “Orange Crush.” But heading into the meeting, Beth Gradishar said she and her husband feared the worst because nine days after initially hearing from the Hall of Fame they had not received another call.

“We also started thinking, ‘Well, maybe they’re calling to tell me that I didn’t get into the Hall of Fame,’’’ Gradishar said of what unfolded after the Jan. 21 call from the Broncos. “(Maybe they) were being polite in (being about to say), ‘Well, Randy we’re sorry you didn’t make it.’’’

Beth Gradishar said the meeting was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Jan. 26 but she and her husband were a bit late in arriving due to icy roads. When they arrived, they were brought into Greg Penner’s office.

“He talked to us for about 10 minutes, just small talk,’’ she said. “I almost felt like saying, ‘Just give us the bad news so we can go home.'”

Greg Penner then said his wife wanted to speak to them in a separate room.

“He said, ‘Carrie would like to talk to you and learn more about that 1977 year,’’’ Beth Gradishar said of when the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl for the first time before losing 27-10 to Dallas in Super Bowl XII.

The Gradishars were brought into the other room. They were immediately greeted by a big surprise.

In the room, in addition to the Penners, was Hall of Fame safety Steve Atwater, who played for the Broncos from 1989-98 and is now the team’s fan development manager, and two of Gradishar’s star defensive teammates in linebacker Tom Jackson and safety Billy Thompson. The Broncos announced that Jackson, who played for them from 1973-86, will serve as Gradishar’s presenter at the Hall of Fame enshrinement Aug. 3 in Canton.

Among the 30 or so in room also were Broncos president Damani Leech and head coach Sean Payton. Hall of Fame Jim Porter was present as well as an NFL Films crew.

“It finally sunk into my brain that I’m in, so that was an exciting time,’’ Gradishar said. “I hugged my wife, and we were excited and didn’t really know what to say.”

A portion of what unfolded will be shown on “Hall of Fame Knocks: Welcome to Canton,’’ an NFL Network special at 7 p.m. Saturday showing all the surprises pulled off to inform the seven members of the class of 2024 of their fate. Also named to the Hall were defensive linemen Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney and Steve McMichael, wide receiver Andre Johnson, linebacker Patrick Willis and kick returner Devin Hester.

“Welcome to the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024,’’ Atwater, wearing his Hall of Fame gold jacket, told Gradishar when he entered the room, according to a video sent to The Denver Gazette. “You’re so deserving of it. I’m happy for you. Let’s go.”

An appreciative Gradishar responded by saying, “What a great honor this is. And I’ve always known this is God ordained, and this is the year to go in and I’m just very, very excited about that.”

Atwater told The Denver Gazette he was honored to have been chosen to break the news to Gradishar.

“It was really special to be a part of his celebration,’’ he said. “He’s waited such a long time to be recognized for all the great things he did on the field and all the wonderful stuff he did off the field as well. It was special that I was invited in.”

So how surprised was Gradishar?

“Once I said it, I think it just confirmed it,’’ Atwater said. “But when he came in, he was pretty surprised, and he didn’t know what the heck was going on. But pretty soon he knew exactly what was going on.”

After the announcement, Gradishar hugged Jackson and Thompson. Soon after the surprise greeting, the Broncos took participants to Del Frisco’s Grille for what Beth Gradishar said turned out to be a 3 ½-hour lunch. The Penners weren’t able to make lunch due to having to leave for another engagement.

At that point, Gradishar already had waited 35 years to make the Hall of Fame. Then he had to wait another 13 days before he could tell anybody he finally had earned a bust in Canton.

“They said the one stipulation for everyone is that nothing is leaked, nothing is shared,’’ Beth Gradishar said of the word from the Hall of Fame.

Gradishar’s wife said he received dozens of phone calls leading up to Thursday from members of the media and others trying to find out if he had made the Hall of Fame. But the former star linebacker remained mum.

“It was excruciating,” she said. “You want to tell your family. You want to share the good news and you can’t. And you’re constantly getting phone calls from across the country wanting to know because the final vote was in.”

Gradishar flew to Las Vegas on Wednesday morning along with his son Mark Gradishar and then was introduced at NFL Honors. The two will sit in a suite for the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium and Gradishar will be introduced at the game along with others in the class of 2024.

Beth Gradishar said she could have gone to Las Vegas for NFL Honors and for the Super Bowl, but it would have meant either she or Mark sitting alone in the stands during the game, rather than in a suite. After some discussions about arrangements, she opted to remain at home in the Denver area.

And finally on Thursday night, Gradishar was free to talk about the big surprise pulled off on Jan. 26.

“I was tricked by the Denver Broncos,’’ he quipped.