As sure as Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in the 1998 NFL season, he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But don’t hold your breath, Broncos Country.
Yes, Davis is among 18 finalists whose merits for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, will be debated Saturday among the august and self-righteous voters, who have a long and well-documented dislike for the Broncos.
How big of an upset would it be for Davis to be elected? Put it this way: The Broncos probably have a better chance of being declared the winner of Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday than T.D. has of being awarded a Hall pass and gold jacket the day before.
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There’s something wrong with a pass-happy sport, and it is being held against Davis. The NFL has devalued the contributions of running backs. And that is bunk.
The physicality of the defending world champion Seattle Seahawks begins with the “Beast Mode” running style of Marshawn Lynch as much as any slobber-knocking tackle by safety Earl Thomas. By the same token, the Denver team that won back-to-back championships in the late 1990s was so intimidating not because the Broncos’ offense could light up the scoreboard, but because T.D. had the ability to bring the hammer down in the fourth quarter.
Here in Broncos Country, we all know the obvious reasons Davis should go in the Hall of Fame.
There would not be one Lombardi Trophy, much less two, on display at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters without T.D.
Were Emmitt Smith, Marcus Allen, John Elway, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr any good? All seven were named both MVP of the regular season and the Super Bowl. All were welcomed with open arms in the Hall.
So you mean to tell me the MVP awards from the Super Bowl and regular season owned by Davis aren’t good for admission?
It angers me that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan ran Davis into the ground, allowing him only four spectacular seasons. But the 97.5 yards rushing per game averaged by T.D. is the fourth-best mark in NFL history.
Davis, however, will have a very difficult time gaining traction with the 46-member selection committee. The only legitimate reason to shoot down his candidacy is the lack of longevity in what became an injury-plagued career that lasted a mere 86 games during the regular season and playoffs from 1995-2001. But the silliest of the lame obstacles that will be thrown in T.D.’s way is the Bus.
Jerome “The Bus” Bettis is the lone other running back on the list of modern-era candidates under consideration in 2015. Bettis, who played for the St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers, has what the voters who select football’s immortals seem to value the most: an NFL career that went on forever. Bettis is 42 years old, the same age as Davis. But Bettis, who gained an impressive 13,662 yards rushing as a pro, was a fixture on television for 13 NFL seasons, as opposed to the four-year run of T.D.
I’ve heard respected writer Peter King, whose voice will carry a lot of weight when the politics of the final debate begins Saturday, talk about how Davis basically needs to get in line behind “The Bus.”
Bettis played on one Super Bowl champion.
Davis twice led the Broncos to the NFL title.
Bettis earned honors as first-team all-pro in 1993 and 1996.
Davis was all-pro three times (1996, ’97 and ’98).
Yes, Bettis played longer.
T.D. ran stronger.
Quarterback Kurt Warner, receiver Tim Brown and safety John Lynch are distinguished players among this year’s 18 finalists for the Hall of Fame. All have merit. I would offer no protest if Warner, Brown or Lynch gets enshrined.
But I defy any of them to do one thing: stand in front of the greatest running back in Broncos history and claim to be a better football player than T.D.
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszla
