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Posts Tagged ‘Rod Smith’

Nalen, Lynch First-Year Nominees for Hall

September 27th, 2012 - 1:36pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

On Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the list of candidates for the Class of 2013, and two Broncos are among the first-year eligible modern-era candidates.

Center Tom Nalen and safety John Lynch are nominees in their first year of eligibility.

Lynch, a nine-time Pro Bowler, spent the first 11 years of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Broncos as a free agent in 2004. He spent four seasons with Denver, capping off a career that featured 1,277 tackles, 13 sacks, 26 interceptions, 100 passes defensed, 16 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.

Nalen started 188 of 194 games played in his career, and never committed more than six penalties in a season. He earned five Pro Bowl nominations — the most by an offensive lineman in Broncos history, and won back-to-back Super Bowls with the team.

The two first-year candidates join five fellow former Broncos — running back Terrell Davis, wide receiver Rod Smith, linebacker Karl Mecklenburg and safeties Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith — and a former Broncos coach, Dan Reeves, as nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013.

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Broncos Induct Rod Smith

September 23rd, 2012 - 4:11pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

The Broncos inducted wide receiver Rod Smith into the Ring of Fame at halftime of this afternoon’s contest against the Houston Texans. Smith becomes the 23rd member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen presented Smith his ring at midfield, and the crowd watched a video tribute on the scoreboard. Smith thanked Denver fans and everyone who supported him, then led the crowd in a “Go Broncos” chant.

I really can’t start thanking everybody, but definitely (Broncos owner) Mr. (Pat) Bowlen runs a first-class organization,” Smith said. “Everybody that has ever worked for the Denver Broncos, from the guys who cut the grass to the trainers and every single person.”

Smith went on to describe how much the honor means to him.

“It’s special to be the 23rd person (in the Ring of Fame),” Smith said. “It means I did something right along the way, and I just appreciate this organization; I appreciate the community. I’ve always just wanted to do one thing, and that’s earn the respect of the organization and the community, and, I think this is one of those moments that’s awesome for me and my family.”

Smith, who started his 14-year tenure as a Bronco as an undrafted free agent, went on to amass 849 receptions for 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns. He was a key member of the Broncos’ Super Bowl champion teams in 1997 and 1998.

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Rod Smith Featured on Gameday Cover

September 22nd, 2012 - 1:04pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

This Sunday, the Gameday program handed out to fans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High doesn’t feature a player on the roster.

Rather, it highlights one of the best Broncos of all time — the team’s newest Ring of Famer, wide receiver Rod Smith.

The cover story — titled “Undrafted, Unmatched” — takes the reader through Smith’s heralded career from an unheralded beginning.

Here’s a snippet from the story:

Despite a standout college career at Missouri Southern State University, Smith went undrafted in the spring of 1994 and signed with the Broncos as a college free agent.

It was Smith’s unyielding work ethic that fueled his unprecedented rise from an undrafted free agent to one of the top receivers in NFL history.
Smith said that because of the way his career began as an undrafted player out of a Division-II school, he always had the mindset that he’d have to work harder than other players for his spot on the roster.

“I knew where I wanted to go and I knew I was going to outwork everyone else,” Smith said. “When they were gone, I was still working. When they were asleep, I was still working. I tell people that all the time — work works. I wanted to be the best teammate I could be. I knew if I was better, it made our team better.

“You have to clock in and sometimes you don’t clock out,” he continued. “In the NFL, I never clocked out. The day I clocked out was the day I retired.”

The program also features an exclusive Q&A with Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, as well as a coach Q&A with Assistant Special Team Coach Keith Burns. Both were once teammates with Smith.

If you’re headed to the game on Sunday, be sure to grab a program on your way through the gates.

The Gameday cover can be seen below:

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Rod Smith: Next Step Canton?

September 21st, 2012 - 10:41am by Stuart ZaasOther posts by

With Rod Smith’s upcoming induction into the Broncos Ring of Fame during halftime of Sunday’s game vs. Houston, there is only one remaining NFL honor to add to Smith’s resume.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame.

There are currently 21 wide receivers with busts in Canton.

Smith’s numbers are comparable to those of that elite group. His stats would rank in the top 10 in games played, receptions, receiving yards and NFL Championships. His 68 touchdowns rank 11th among Hall of Famers.

“Some of the guys that are there, I can promise you this, my numbers are better than some of the guys there,” Smith said about his Hall-of-Fame chances. “I know we played in a different era but at the same time I think that winning has something to do with it, I think your character off of the field should have something to do with it because it’s an elite group.”

In a results-oriented business, Smith produced. In games he played, Smith’s teams went 126-70, good for a winning percentage of .643. Only one wide receiver currently in the Hall of Fame — Fred Biletnikoff — had a higher career winning percentage.

There’s only one wide receiver in the history of the NFL to post as many receptions, yards, touchdowns, wins and Super Bowl titles as Rod Smith — Jerry Rice.

That’s not bad company to share the most important wide receiver statistics with.

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Looking Ahead, Correcting Mistakes

September 20th, 2012 - 3:39pm by Eric DeckerOther posts by

Let’s get right to it. Our focus right now is on Houston. Obviously we want to learn from our mistakes, and the first step is to eliminate turnovers. If you do that, you move the ball, move the chains, you get into a rhythm and it becomes a lot easier. That’s our main focus, just trying to get into that rhythm. Making plays when they’re there, and obviously eliminate the mistakes.

As far as those mistakes against Atlanta, it’s all correctable, which is a good thing. I thought from film obviously turnovers and decision-making, physical stuff as far as route technique, just technique work across the board. It’s all correctable. You can get better at that. Physically we matched up well. I thought we came back and played well in the second half, we’ve just got to build off that.

I think after a loss you always kind of step back and evaluate your own play, what you can do better. It does make you focus more. I think really our mentality is we’ve got to win, string together some games. That’s what good teams do.

For me, the long pass from Peyton late in the game that I couldn’t bring in, that one is on my mind. I wish I could have that one back. I should’ve made a play on it. Unfortunately I didn’t. But next time I get the opportunity, I’ll make the play.

But like I said, we’re on to Houston. Right off the bat, you know they’ve got a very tough defense. Very sound across the board. We’ve got to play physical, we’ve got to use our technique and we’ve just got to execute every play that’s called. Again, move the chains, eliminate turnovers and stay ahead of, obviously, the chains — no third-and-longs and second-and-longs.

Of course we’re expecting the fans to be out in full force on Sunday. With a big game, second game at home, I know the excitement level’s still there. We’ve just got to feed off that and give them something to cheer about. Hopefully we can use you guys as a 12th man on defense with the crowd noise.

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Rod Smith to Join Ring of Fame Sunday

September 19th, 2012 - 4:21pm by Stuart ZaasOther posts by

At halftime of Sunday’s game vs. Houston, Rod Smith’s name will be immortalized as the 23rd member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

The team’s leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Smith’s induction was announced by Owner Pat Bowlen in May.

“Players like Rod don’t come through your door very often, but he came through ours every day with a purpose and hunger to be great,” Bowlen said in a statement at the time. “Rod’s production and numbers — as outstanding as they were — paled in comparison to his commitment to winning and the respect he commanded from each and every one of his teammates throughout his career. Emerging from an undrafted player to one of the best to ever play his position, Rod has truly earned his place among the greatest Broncos of all time.

“I am thankful for everything Rod contributed to this franchise during his time with the Broncos, and I congratulate him on his well-deserved election to the Ring of Fame.”

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Smith to Unveil Broncos Fan Flag

September 4th, 2012 - 3:50pm by Gray CaldwellOther posts by

This week, the NFL gets back to football. And the Broncos’ newest Ring of Famer, wide receiver Rod Smith, will be in New York City to help celebrate.

As part of the 2012 NFL Kickoff Show, Smith will be part of the pregame celebration at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday in advance of the first game of the season, when the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants.

Smith is one of 32 NFL alumni — one player representing each team — that will take part in the festivities along with a fan of each team.

For the Broncos, that fan will be Bob Disher of Castle Rock, Colo. Disher won the inaugural NFL Fan Flag Challenge, which asked fans to submit designs with elements representative of their team’s city, community, traditions or fans.

Disher’s winning entry — which can be seen below — will be unveiled by Smith during Wednesday’s Kickoff Show.

The event, featuring performances by No Doubt and Mariah Carey, is presented by Bud Light and will be televised from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. MDT on NBC and NFL Network.

Disher has been a season-ticket holder since 1984 and wrote that he has been a Broncos fan “all of my life!” Two of the most important parts of his design, he wrote in his winning entry, are the Broncos orange and the fact that the newest logo is in the “fourth quarter” of the flag, which brings to mind John Elway’s comebacks in the fourth quarter.

View the flag after the jump:

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Smith Reflects on Ring of Fame

May 17th, 2012 - 5:04pm by Stuart ZaasOther posts by

Earlier this morning, Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen called former wide receiver Rod Smith and notified him that he had been voted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
That call started a chain of phone calls and text messages that would flood the franchise’s all-time leading receiver’s phone.

“It’s a huge deal,” Smith said of the honor on a conference call. “I got a chance to speak to Mr. Bowlen today and just really thanked him for allowing me and my family to be a part of his family. He really allowed me a chance to work for the best organization in all of pro sports.”

Smith thanked every player he ever played with, along with a slew of former coaches who he credited with helping him achieve success in the NFL.

Throughout the day, he estimated that he received 50 text messages from those people congratulating him
on the news.

“A lot of people are excited, and I’m excited as well,” he said. “It’s a testament to where you came from. There are a lot of people that shared that honor with me, not only the people I grew up with from my immediate family, but every guy I ever played high school football with or through college and on and on and on. It’s a huge deal.”

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Why Rod Smith is a Hall of Famer

September 29th, 2011 - 12:53pm by jim_saccomanoOther posts by

Earlier this week the Pro Football Hall of Fame released its preliminary list of candidates for induction in 2012.

There are 102 candidates on this list, which will be whittled down to 25 in mid-November, then to the final list of 15 which will be voted on by the selection committee the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Everyone on this list has had notable accomplishments. That’s how they made the list. On the list for the first time is wide receiver Rod Smith.

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From Undrafted to Impact Players

July 26th, 2011 - 10:05am by jim_saccomanoOther posts by

With the National Football League calendar year underway for 2011, there will be a flurry of player transactions almost like never before.

The only real comparison I can make is when the teams signed replacement players in 1987, thus putting an entire team together in a couple of days.

I figure that with the Denver Broncos’ signing of our own draft choices, undrafted college free agents, veteran free agents, possible trades and roster reductions re cuts, the Broncos will average a headline per hour for the next five or six days, basing that on the hours of a normal daylight working day.

It is going to be chaotic.

For a fan, stay tuned, and embrace the chaos. The football operations department has had a plan in place and will now be executing it.

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