Thread: Compelling look at TD's HOF candidacy

Originally Posted by Jsteve01

This is compelling. Too bad much of the vote is done by Steeler- and Cowboy-worshipping idiots

There. Fixed it for ya.

Of all of the athletes I've covered over the years, Terrell Davis ranks as one of my all-time favorites. So I'll admit I was thrilled to learn that T.D. is, finally, a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

T.D. was accessible and friendly, confident without being boastful and a true professional. Even toward the end of his career, when his knees were aching and his career was in jeopardy, he never dodged the media.

I covered Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego when he rushed for 157 yards and was named MVP, despite missing the second quarter with an excruciating migraine headache. The spotlight that night belonged to John Elway, and rightly so, as Elway finally got to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

But over the years, I've watched replays of the Broncos' 31-24 victory over the Packers, and I'm always reminded of just how magical T.D. was that night. He danced through holes, ran over the Packers and spun a 360-degree move that left would-be tacklers hugging air. He was spectacular.

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/lunchspeci...ongs-hall-fame

TD may be the most important player to ever wear a Broncos uniform. Don't get me wrong, we've had many greats, but he was the driver to the offense of the two Superbowl. I would even suggest that without him Elway would not have a SB ring.
It's a travesty he's not in already.

Originally Posted by Softskull

TD may be the most important player to ever wear a Broncos uniform. Don't get me wrong, we've had many greats, but he was the driver to the offense of the two Superbowl. I would even suggest that without him Elway would not have a SB ring.
It's a travesty he's not in already.

Well, Elway is still, by FAR teh most important player to ever wear a Broncos uniform. But its true, without TD we most likely don't have a SB ring.

Knew he was special when i first saw him in the starting lineup and watching him run in 95'. Just somehow knew he was different than any back we had prior to him taking the field. Didnt realize he would be only one of 7 backs to rush for 2,000 yds in a season but am incredibly proud and grateful to have witnessed how special of a player he really was. Because im a Bronco fan there will always be some kind of bias but even if you are looking at his work objectively it would be insult to injury to keep him out of the HOF.

Proof of this is comparing his stats with that of what many consider to be a shoe in for the HOF himself with Ladanian Tomlinson,

TD- 6 years

3 Pro Bowls
3 First Team All Pro
2x SB Champion
2x Offensive Player of the Year
NFL MVP
SB MVP
3x AFC rushing leader
2000 yd club
Rushing TD's 60



LT- 10 Years

NFL MVP
3x First Team All Pro
3x Second Team All Pro
5x Pro Bowls
2x Rushing Leader
28 Rushing TD's in a season
Rushing TD's 145


Im still so blown away by how good TD really was. I miss him and it saddens me that his career was cut short like it was but i think getting into the HOF would be the perfect endcap for a great guy and true talent.

Originally Posted by King87

Well he was a practice squad and ended up on the squad because of a preseason game tackle...

Hey, man, I'm just saying what I saw on a documentary on the guy.

He obviously wasn't a scrub. He obviously was better than any of the backs that Denver had who also played on the scheme. But it is not some unfair character assassination -although the board seems to feel otherwise- of questioning how great he was. Because that scheme made bad players produce really good to great numbers. So if he was great, and I think he, Davis, was, then why is it so brutal or wrong to question how great he was and if the line made him look greater than what he was? You guys have balked at the likes of Curtis Martin because he played for a long time; Jerome Bettis' YPC was too low even though he was the ultimate grind it out power back and his offensive line made him; Tomlinson was a hack in the playoffs, had a great offensive line and was at a proximity of greatness in terms of other offensive players; and the list kept going.

You can be a great back and have worse numbers than Davis. In fact that's often what the argument is. But you can be a great back and have great talent around you and have that boost you. You guys have argued that as well.

I want him to get in. He is a borderline candidate, but that does not disqualify him from getting in. It just means that it's close. It's the notion that he should just be a shoe-in that is so boggling, because he played with an all-time great QB, the best TE ever, good WR's, and the best offensive line in football -the creation of this line and scheme made Shanahan a revolutionary HoF worthy coach- and had a short career.

King your facts are off. One, Davis was never on the practice squad. When he was drafted he thought he might end up on the practice squad but according to Kubiak and Bobby Turner didn't see it that way. It's your opinion that the line made Davis better than he was and it's your opinion that he's a borderline but we don't agree. Sharpe was a great receiving tight end but no one was ever going to say he was a good blocker.

Originally Posted by TXBRONC

King your facts are off. One, Davis was never on the practice squad. When he was drafted he thought he might end up on the practice squad but according to Kubiak and Bobby Turner didn't see it that way. It's your opinion that the line made Davis better than he was and it's your opinion that he's a borderline but we don't agree. Sharpe was a great receiving tight end but no one was ever going to say he was good blocker.

Denver's line was good but no back that followed (even Portis) was near as good as TD was. Like, not even close.

Originally Posted by Northman

Denver's line was good but no back that followed (even Portis) was near as good as TD was. Like, not even close.

Not even CLOSE. The whole "the OL made TD what he is".... has to come from someone that didn't really watch TD play.

Originally Posted by Ravage!!!

Not even CLOSE. The whole "the OL made TD what he is".... has to come from someone that didn't really watch TD play.

Well, i dont know if King did or didnt see TD play but its really hard to argue what TD did vs any other back did for Denver. But its the same kind of debate i would have with someone who tries to say Manning is a better QB than Elway was. Both are great but Elway to me was much much better as an overall QB than Manning. There were just so many other aspects to Elway's game that Manning just doesnt have.

Originally Posted by Northman

Well, i dont know if King did or didnt see TD play but its really hard to argue what TD did vs any other back did for Denver. But its the same kind of debate i would have with someone who tries to say Manning is a better QB than Elway was. Both are great but Elway to me was much much better as an overall QB than Manning. There were just so many other aspects to Elway's game that Manning just doesnt have.

I'm just like you in the perspective that you could just see something special in TD. Strong, fast, incredibly quick, and could spin away and make you look foolish. At the same time, the guy would lower his shoulder and just flat out lower the BOOM on someone, or turn it on and out run the entire defense down the sideline. The guy just had EVERYTHING. I just Soooo loved watching him play. He was special.

Elway. Elway was just... Elway. Manning is very much like Marino. Brady is very much like Montana. Elway just was different. He was just such a superior athlete from the QB position. He just had this.... magic. You NEVER felt like the game was out of reach. You NEVER thought... "shit, we can't come back from that"...because you had Elway.

Howie Long has always said it best. "He's the best player I have ever played against. During Bronco week, our entire defense would concentrate on stopping 1 guy... ONE guy... John Elway, and we just could never seem to do it."

Originally Posted by King87

Must...not...troll....this...have...to...fight urge.

You can bc you will lose...badly.

Elway. Elway was just... Elway. Manning is very much like Marino. Brady is very much like Montana. Elway just was different. He was just such a superior athlete from the QB position. He just had this.... magic. You NEVER felt like the game was out of reach. You NEVER thought... "shit, we can't come back from that"...because you had Elway.

Great statement about Elway, but you lost me at the "Brady is like Montana" part. He is not like Montana. He is like Robert Horry: A player who rides his team and his coach to rings. I would take Montana over Brady any day of the week.