As most fans know by news reports, today running back Terrell Davis was voted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame by the selection committee, which includes owner Pat Bowlen, former GM John Beake, former defensive coordinator Joe Collier, and former play-by-play voice Larry Zimmer.
I know that everyone agrees that this is a great selection, and in my opinion it is one of the best selections ever made by the group.
TD stands as a “great’s great.” One of those guys whom even the greatest players look up to.
Just yesterday Curtis Martin retired after a great and long career, and he had over 14,000 yards rushing.
But nothing compares to four things which Terrell did, and which NO ONE ELSE IN FOOTBALL HISTORY has ever done.
He was a Super Bowl MVP. Very great, but there is one every year. Also, there are only three other RBs (Larry Csonka, Franco Harris and Emmit Smith) who earned that SB MVP in one of two BACK-TO-BACK Super Bowl title years.
He was a regular season MVP. Again there is one every year, but the only other guys in history to win BOTH MVP awards are in the Hall of Fame. Both, that’s the hard part.
Now, let’s double the difficulty of the task.
He rushed for 2,000, one of just five guys ever to do it. So don’t just think that he is one of only five guys to do that, he is one of five to do that while ALSO doing the previously mentioned. Also, he is the only one of those 2,000-yard backs to also score 20 TDs in that 2,000-yard season.
And now for the hard part. Terrell Davis rushed for 100 or more yards in seven straight postseason games, and the Broncos went 7-0 in those games. I would argue that that task is far more difficult than any of the others.
And, he did it in addition to the other three accomplishments. He is a Ring of Famer, and on the basis of the above, he is in my opinion a Hall of Famer.
When someone else does what TD has done, I will tip my hat to him.
Thanks for reading.
Tags: Hall of Fame, Ring of Fame, Terrell Davis
Jim,
I couldn’t agree more that TD is worthy of the Hall of Fame. I’m one who thinks we should have more than one Bronco in the Hall of Fame by now and TD would be a great second member. I suppose the “short career” argument might be what held him back last year - but it seems like there are a quite a few “one year wonders” in the Hall so I can’t see how that can really hold him back for very long. And, of course, he did more in a short career than most players do in a long career.
As you might guess from my “handle” we were there to see the MVP performance against the Packers. That was the one and only Super Bowl we’ve been to - and I wouldn’t trade it for any other. All he did in that game - while contending with a migraine. As I think about it either the Super Bowl MVP or the 2000 yard season ALONE should be enough to get TD elected.
I’m a bit curious to know what kind of promotional work an organization is allowed to do for one of their players. And also what kind of material the voters see when they make their selections. I’ve seen what the Hall of Fame puts on their website during the election process - seems like a well written paragraph or two, but it’s hard to do justice to a player like TD with a short writeup like that.
Jim! As usual, you back up this excellent entry w/all the facts; TD was the piece of the puzzle John Elway never had in all the SB losses-when he soared, the Broncos went with him. If not for the D’s inability to stop Jax in ‘96 playoffs, we might be talking 3 in a row! It’s not his fault that he was a team player and went to tackle the guy that picked off a Griese pass, only to be hit by fellow teammate Matt Lepsis, who was trying to do the same! It was just part of the game-it was horrible, but it happens……TD deserves to be in ROF and the HOF based on WHAT he did WHEN he played. Congrats TD!!!!!!!!!! Mr.B-Amelia, OH
As I watch different sports shows and they talk about the great backs of all time. I can’t help think of T.D. for some reason all the sports writers outside of Denver seem to have forgotting his acomplishments. Other than the year he tried to comeback, I think if you put him up against any back past or present… game for game he would be one of only a handful that could measure up! I although I’m a Denver Bronco fan no matter what, I firmly believe they may not have won either Super Bowl without T.D. or may not even made it to the Super Bowl. Like John Elway, I think Terrel Davis was a Super Star!!! and is more than deserving of the Ring of Fame and needs great consideration for the Hall of Fame. Too bad his career was cut short they would have spoke about T.D. like they do about L.T.
Congratulations Terell Davis you deserve it!!!!!!! Mike T, Denver
congrats terrell davis ur simply the best thanx 4 leading us & winning 2 superbowls td td td td thanx again
congrats terrell davis ur simply the best thanx 4 leading us & winning 2 superbowls td td td td thanx again
The Broncos have been getting ripped off by that Joke Hall of Fame for decades. Six Superbowls, and only One player in the Hall? Ridiculous. East Coast bias. East Coast ignorance.
I’d have to disagree with that claim of one year wonders in the hall.
Terrell DAvis was an outstanding talent. Yet everybody brushes it off as ‘the system’. I didn’t see anybody else have that kind of success in The System. And you cant “just plug anybody in”. If you could, Tatum Bell would still be here. He did not fit this style of running.
As much as we all want T.D. into the Hall of Fame, you must know that it will never happen. The voting system is a pathetic joke.
The man was a beast that put fear in to teams he played, and players that TRYED to bring him down.
I am so excited. I travel each year 9 hours to catch a Broncos game and had planned on being there for the Green Bay or Tennesse games this year. I was still trying to decide Friday when I came from work to hear this great news. Saturday I got online and got two tickets to the Jacksonville game. I will be there with my best friend of almost 40 years (We are 41 and 40 respectively). It will be a momentous game to attend. I can’t wait to see T.D.’s name on the stadium. He has earned it. What else did he have to prove. Next goal. Hall of Fame.
TD had one of the finest 1st 4 years of any NFL Ballplayer. I’ve attached a list of comments and stats from an Internet Site to support this.
Curtis Martin, entering the league at the same time has had a great career and is being touted as a 1st ballot hall of famer. Is it the Hall of Fame or Hall of good but durable. In his entire career Martin has never accomplished what TD did in 4 with the sole exception being total yardage.
Here’s the list:
The 6,413 yards he gained during his first four seasons in the NFL were the second highest four-year total in league history. He was named both league and Super Bowl MVP in 1998 and is one of only four players to gain 2,000 yards in a season. Two of the other three are already in the Hall of Fame, and the other soon will be.
“Davis was a great running back when he was healthy. He had it all,” said Hall of Fame broadcaster John Madden. “There are certain backs that can run the football, can catch the football and can block, and Davis was one of those guys. There aren’t many who can do all of that, but Terrell Davis sure could.”
Career Highlights
Super Bowl XXXII Most Valuable Player
All-Pro: 1996, 1997, 1998
Pro Bowls: 1996, 1997, 1998
NFL Rookie of the Year: 1995 (Football Digest)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year: 1996, 1998 (AP)
NFL Player of the Year: 1996 (Sports Illustrated)
AFC Player of the Year: 1997
NFL Rushing Leader: 1998
AFC Rushing Leader: 1996, 1997, 1998
NFL Most Valuable Player: 1998 (AP, PFW, PFWAA)
Enough said. His accomplishments speak for themselves.
Should have been without a doubt a 1st ballot selection.
Sports Illustrated
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting