| Bum Knee Ends TD's Run | |
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Davis donned his Denver uniform for the final time on ABC's Monday Night Football as his Broncos lost to the San Francisco 49ers in preseason NFL action. He used his night in the spotlight as an opportunity to salute the fans and to bid farewell to the only NFL team he has played for. On Tuesday, the Broncos will place Davis on injured reserve, effectively ending his 2002 season and a spectacular career that is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.
Whether Davis actually belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is debatable, and his lack of longevity certainly won't help his cause, but his numbers do compare favorably with several currently enshrined members. His premature retirement has sparked many in the media to compare him to one of those members... Gale Sayers.
Sayers' career was also hampered by injury, and eventually cut short after several dominating seasons in the league, but his ability to return punts and kicks added fuel to his Hall of Fame candidacy. Whether or not Davis is eventually honored in Canton will depend solely on his accomplishments as a running back, and those accomplishments are impressive despite his premature exit.
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."
Does Terrell Davis belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
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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)
NFL Statistics
| RUSHING | |||||||
| YEAR | G | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lg | TD |
| 1995 | 14 | 14 | 237 | 1117 | 4.7 | 60 | 7 |
| 1996 | 16 | 16 | 345 | 1538 | 4.5 | 71 | 13 |
| 1997 | 15 | 15 | 369 | 1750 | 4.7 | 50 | 15 |
| 1998 | 16 | 16 | 392 | 2008 | 5.1 | 70 | 21 |
| 1999 | 4 | 4 | 67 | 211 | 3.1 | 26 | 2 |
| 2000 | 5 | 4 | 78 | 282 | 3.6 | 24 | 2 |
| 2001 | 8 | 8 | 167 | 701 | 4.2 | 57 | 0 |
| *2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | 0 |
| TOTAL | 78 | 77 | 1655 | 7607 | 4.6 | 71 | 60 |
| RECEIVING | ||||||
| YEAR | G | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 1995 | 14 | 14 | 49 | 367 | 7.5 | 1 |
| 1996 | 16 | 16 | 36 | 310 | 8.6 | 2 |
| 1997 | 15 | 15 | 42 | 287 | 6.8 | 0 |
| 1998 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 217 | 8.7 | 2 |
| 1999 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 |
| 2000 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 69 | 5.8 | 0 |
| *2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 78 | 77 | 169 | 1280 | 7.6 | 5 |
