Terrell Davis
No. 30 | |||||||
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Position: | Running back | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | San Diego, California, U.S. | October 28, 1972||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Lincoln (San Diego, California) | ||||||
College: | Long Beach State (1990–1991) Georgia (1992–1994) | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1995 / Round: 6 / Pick: 196 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and still holds the record for most postseason single-season touchdowns (eight), which he achieved in 1997. He is also credited with starting the "Mile High Salute", a celebratory tradition among Denver Broncos players after scoring a touchdown. Davis was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Despite his short seven year tenure (with four full seasons), Davis is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.[1]
Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round (196th pick overall) of the 1995 NFL draft. He is the Denver Broncos' all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing yards. Davis still holds the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason, scoring eight in the 1997 playoffs, which resulted in him winning the Super Bowl MVP award.[2] In 1998, he became only the fourth NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. As a player, he was given the nickname "T. D." by players, fans and the media; this denoted both the initials of his first and last name as well as being an abbreviation for touchdown.
Early life
Davis was born to nurse Kateree Davis, a mother of eight children, and father Joe Davis. His father was an alcoholic and drug addict who abused his children and animals, including firing guns at Terrell and his brothers. He died when Terrell was 14 years old.[3]
In his senior year at
College career
At
Long Beach State eliminated its football program due to budget concerns at the end of the 1991 season. Davis transferred to the
Statistics
Georgia Bulldogs | ||||||||||||||
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Season | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||
Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||||
1991 | 55 | 262 | 4.8 | 48 | 2 | 4 | 92 | 23.0 | 75 | 1 | ||||
1992 | 53 | 388 | 7.3 | 61 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 23 | 1 | ||||
1993 | 167 | 824 | 4.9 | 42 | 5 | 12 | 161 | 13.4 | 57 | 3 | ||||
1994 | 97 | 445 | 4.6 | 25 | 6 | 31 | 330 | 10.6 | 46 | 0 | ||||
Career | 372 | 1,919 | 5.4 | 61 | 16 | 50 | 621 | 14.9 | 75 | 5 |
Professional career
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle |
Vertical jump | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 ft 11+5⁄8 in (1.82 m) |
213 lb (97 kg) |
30+7⁄8 in (0.78 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
4.72 s | 1.70 s | 2.74 s | 4.41 s | 35 in (0.89 m) | ||||
All values from the 1995 NFL Combine[5]
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In 1995, newly appointed Denver Broncos head coach
In 1996, Davis signed, what was at that time a lucrative new five-year contract with the Broncos that was worth $6.8 million. That season, he rushed for a total of 1,538 yards and set a Denver Broncos record for rushing touchdowns with 13. The Broncos ended that season with a 13–3 record, tied with the Green Bay Packers for the best in the NFL that year. In the postseason, Davis ran for 6.5 yards per attempt in a loss to Jacksonville. Davis was selected as a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl for the first of three consecutive seasons.
1997, Super Bowl XXXII
In 1997, Davis broke his own records with 1,750 yards and a league-leading 15 rushing touchdowns. The 12-4 Broncos again faced Jacksonville in their first playoff game; this time Davis had 184 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in the 42-17 blowout. By rushing for over 100 yards rushing in all four of Denver's postseason games, Davis joined John Riggins as the only player to rush for over 100 yards a game four times in a single postseason. Additionally, Davis was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXII against the then-world champion Green Bay Packers, with 157 rushing yards and a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns despite having to sit out the second quarter due to a migraine. Prior to this 31-24 victory, the Broncos had lost each of their four previous Super Bowl appearances, and the AFC had a 13-year losing streak.
1998, Super Bowl XXXIII
In
Super Bowl XXXIII was the last postseason game in which Davis would play. In his 8 postseason games from 1996 to 1998, his numbers were staggering: 204 carries for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 19 receptions for 131 yards. This included a streak of 7 consecutive games with over 100 rushing yards, all of which the Broncos won, breaking the previous record for consecutive 100 rushing yard postseason games held by John Riggins (6). Even in the sole playoff game in which Davis didn't gain 100 rushing yards, he still had an impressive performance, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown and catching 7 passes for 27 yards.
Davis was sent to the Pro Bowl in the 1996, 97, and 98 seasons. Nicknamed "TD", Davis popularized the "Mile High Salute", a military-style salute given to fans and teammates in celebration of a touchdown.[citation needed]
Later career
After the 1998 season, Davis was plagued with injuries and saw action infrequently. In 1999, Davis tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament of his right knee while trying to make a tackle on an interception thrown against the New York Jets, during the fourth game of the season. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.[7]
In the 2000 season, Davis was sidelined for all but five games because of a stress reaction injury in his lower leg. In 2001, he only played in eight games because of arthroscopic surgery on both knees.[7]
Davis
Through his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 56 touchdowns. Among the 24 modern-era Hall of Fame halfbacks and fullbacks, only Earl Campbell (6,457, 4.6 yards per carry) and Eric Dickerson (6,968, 4.8 yards per carry) had more rushing yards during their first four seasons; no member of the Hall of Fame matched Davis' first-four-season 56 rushing touchdowns. Davis was selected for ESPN's All-Time 40-Man Super Bowl roster as a running back for his performances in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
Overall, Davis finished his seven NFL seasons with 7,607 rushing yards, 169 receptions for 1,280 yards, and 65 touchdowns (60 rushing and 5 receiving). He, John Elway, and Peyton Manning are the only three Broncos to be named league MVP. Davis is one of only six players ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards in the postseason (1,140), and out of the six he is the only one to do so in a career that lasted less than 12 seasons. Davis finished his career with 12 playoff rushing touchdowns, good for fourth all-time tied with Marshawn Lynch and John Riggins.[8]
Honors and awards
In 2004, Davis was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.[9] Davis was one of the semifinalists for the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.[10]
On July 27, 2007, it was announced that Davis would be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.
NFL career statistics
Legend | |
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AP OPOTY
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AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year | |
Super Bowl MVP | |
Won the Super Bowl | |
NFL record | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
1995 | DEN | 14 | 14 | 237 | 1,117 | 4.7 | 60 | 7 | 49 | 367 | 7.5 | 31 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
1996 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 345 | 1,538 | 4.5 | 71 | 13 | 36 | 310 | 8.6 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
1997 | DEN | 15 | 15 | 369 | 1,750 | 4.7 | 50 | 15 | 42 | 287 | 6.8 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
1998 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 392 | 2,008 | 5.1 | 70 | 21 | 25 | 217 | 8.7 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
1999 | DEN | 4 | 4 | 67 | 211 | 3.1 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2000 | DEN | 5 | 4 | 78 | 282 | 3.6 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2001 | DEN | 8 | 8 | 167 | 701 | 4.2 | 57 | 0 | 12 | 69 | 5.8 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Career | 78 | 77 | 1,655 | 7,607 | 4.6 | 71 | 60 | 169 | 1,280 | 7.6 | 35 | 5 | 20 | 8 |
Postseason
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
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GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
1996 | DEN | 1 | 1 | 14 | 91 | 6.5 | 47 | 1 | 7 | 27 | 3.4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1997 | DEN | 4 | 4 | 112 | 581 | 5.2 | 59 | 8 | 8 | 38 | 4.8 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
1998 | DEN | 3 | 3 | 78 | 468 | 6.0 | 62 | 3 | 4 | 69 | 17.2 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 8 | 8 | 204 | 1,140 | 5.6 | 62 | 12 | 19 | 134 | 7.1 | 39 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
Franchise records
As of the 2018 NFL off-season, Terrell Davis held at least 46 Broncos franchise records, including:
- Rush Attempts: career (1,655), season (392 in 1998), game (42 on 1997-10-26 @BUF), playoffs (204), playoff season (112 in 1997), playoff game (32 on 1999-01-17 NYJ)
- Rush Yards: career (7,607), season (2,008 in 1998), playoffs (1,140), playoff season (581 in 1997), playoff game (199 on 1999-01-09 MIA)
- Rush Yds/Att: playoffs (5.59), playoff game (9.48 on 1999-01-09 MIA)
- Rushing TDs: career (60), season (21 in 1998), playoffs (12), playoff season (8 in 1997), playoff game (3 on 1998-01-25 NGNB)
- Rush Yds/Game: season (125.5 in 1998), playoffs (142.5), playoff season (156 in 1998)
- Total TDs: season (23 in 1998), playoffs (12), playoff season (8 in 1997), playoff game (3 on 1998-01-25 NGNB)
- Yds from Scrimmage: season (2,225 in 1998), playoffs (1,271), playoff season (619 in 1997), playoff game (206 on 1999-01-09 MIA)
- All Purpose Yds: season (2,225 in 1998), playoffs (1,271), playoff season (619 in 1997), playoff game (206 on 1999-01-09 MIA)
- 100+ yard rushing games: career (41), season (14 in 1997, 1998), playoffs (7)
- Games with 1+ TD scored: season (15 in 1997, 1998), playoffs (7)
- Games with 2+ TD scored: career (19), season (8 in 1998), playoffs (4)
- Games with 3+ TD scored: career (7), season (3 in 1998), playoffs (1), rookie season (1; with Jon Keyworth, Mike Anderson, and Clinton Portis)
- Seasons with 1000+ rushing yards: career (4)
NFL records
- Most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason: (8 in 1997)[2]
- Only player in NFL history with 2,000+ rushing yards and 20+ rushing touchdowns in a single season
- Only 2,000+ yard rusher to win Super Bowl in same season
- Highest career yards per postseason game average with 142.5: (1995-2001)
- Most yards per season plus playoffs, 1998 with 2,476 yards. Second most yards per season plus playoffs, 1997 with 2,331 yards
- Consecutive 100 yard rushing games in playoffs: (7 from 1997-1998)
Television career
After playing in the NFL, Davis worked for NFL Network as a correspondent and studio host for NFL Total Access. He also served as a color commentator for some NFL Europe games covered by NFL Network.
Other appearances
Davis appeared on
Davis guest-starred on Disney Channel's The Jersey, in an episode called "They Say It's Your Birthday" along with other sports stars Shannon Sharpe, Tim Brown, Hardy Nickerson, and Tony Siragusa. The episode originally aired on October 21, 2000.
Davis appeared on the season 5 finale of the sitcom Sister, Sister at the twins' graduation to give a speech.
Davis appeared on the August 29, 2008 episode of
In 2023, Davis made a special guest appearance on an episode of Paramount Network's Bar Rescue, hosted by Jon Taffer, along with current NFL players Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, and Bradley Chubb.
Personal life
Davis resides in Temecula, California with his wife Tamiko Nash. They have three children: sons Jackson and Myles, and daughter Dylan.[14] He wrote an autobiography, TD: Dreams in Motion, after his first Super Bowl victory. A chapter was later added to the book covering his NFL MVP season and second championship win.
Davis was on the cover of the video game
Legal disputes
In 2001, Davis was named in the Atlanta's Gold Club federal prostitution, fraud and racketeering trial. The owner, Steve Kaplan, initially denied accusations of arranging dancers for athletes, claiming that he was unaware of any sexual encounters.
In September 2006, Davis filed a lawsuit against
References
- NFL.com.
- ^ a b "NFL Rushing Touchdowns Single-Season Playoffs Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Mama's Boy Growing up with five older brothers and an ex-con father made TERRELL DAVIS tough. At one point Terrell was a member of the Lincoln Park Blood gang. But it took a remarkable mother to give him the strength to transform himself from aimless delinquent to Super Bowl MVP". Sports Illustrated Vault | Si.com.
- ^ a b c "TD: Dreams in Motion" by Terrell Davis & Adam Schefter (HarperTorch 1999)
- ^ "Terrell Davis | Combine Results | RB - Georgia". nflcombineresults.com.
- ^ "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Davis Says Goodbye". usatoday.com. August 20, 2002. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "NFL Rushing Touchdowns Career Leaders". pro-football-reference.com. Pro Football Reference. February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ "Colorado Sports Hall of Fame". coloradosports.org. November 4, 1964. Archived from the original on March 1, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Matthews, Davis and McDaniel make Hall semifinalist list". espn.go.com. Associated Press. November 16, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ Williamson, Bill (July 27, 2007). "Davis to join Broncos' Ring of Fame". The Denver Post (May 7, 2016 ed.). Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum". sdhoc.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ "Celebrity Guest rub shoulders with Big Bird and friends". sesameworkshop.org. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
- ^ "Terrell Davis' children, father and Pat Bowlen highlight Pro Football Hall of Fame speech". USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "NBA star Ewing testifies at strip club trial". CNN.com. July 23, 2001. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ "Strip club boss cops plea in rackets trial". CNN.com. August 2, 2001. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ "Ex-Gold Club owner gets 16 months". CNN.com. January 8, 2002. Archived from the original on December 28, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ "Terrell Settles Insurance Lawsuit". The Denver Post. Associated Press. January 26, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · ESPN · CBS Sports · Yahoo! Sports · SI.com · Pro Football Reference