 Davis in 2005 | |||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1972-10-28)October 28, 1972 (age 53) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| 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: 6th round, 196th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back for theDenver Broncos of theNational Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and still holds the record for mosttouchdowns in a single postseason (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 thePro 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 selected by the Broncos in the sixth round (196th pick overall) of the1995 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 the1997 playoffs, culminating in him winning the Super Bowl MVP award.[2] In 1998, he became only the fourth NFL player torush 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 fortouchdown.
Davis was born to nurse Kateree Davis, a mother of eight children, and father Joe Davis. His father died when Terrell was 14 years old.[3]
In his senior year atLincoln High School, the coaches gave him a chance atfullback, in a three-back formation.[4][5] He was given playing time in other positions, includingkicker, and helped lead his team to a 12–2 record. Davis set the Lincoln Prep record in thediscus throw as a member of thetrack team. After graduation, Davis went on to play baseball atLong Beach State University. His brother Reggie Webb was a tailback there before him, and he persuaded the school to grant Davis ascholarship.[6]
At Long Beach State, Davis joinedthe football team that was coached by formerWashington Redskins coachGeorge Allen. Heredshirted his freshman year in order to give him an extra year of eligibility. Davis never played an official game for coach Allen because Allen died after the end of the 1990 season. Davis played the following season and rushed for 262 yards on 55 carries.
Long Beach State eliminated its football program due to budget concerns at the end of the 1991 season. Davis transferred to theUniversity of Georgia. During his first season withthe Bulldogs, Davis backed up future NFL starting running backGarrison Hearst. After Hearst graduated, Davis became the top running back during the 1993 season, and rushed for 824 yards on 167 carries. Davis' senior season at Georgia got off to a rocky start when he aggravated a tear in hishamstring muscle againstTennessee early in the season, which took him out of the lineup for three games. Davis ran for 445 yards on 67 carries that year, but in his last two games, he rushed for 113 and 121 yards, respectively. After the season, he was invited to theBlue–Gray Football Classic game. Davis' reputation for being injury-prone hurt his standing in the NFL draft, along with the fact thatCoach Goff denied scouts game film of Davis.[6] Davis graduated from the University of Georgia with aBachelor of Science degree inConsumer Economics.
| Season | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| Long Beach State 49ers | |||||||||||
| 1990 |  Redshirted | ||||||||||
| 1991 | 55 | 262 | 4.8 | 48 | 2 | 4 | 92 | 23.0 | 75 | 1 | |
| Georgia Bulldogs | |||||||||||
| 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 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+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 1995NFL Combine[7] | ||||||||||||
In 1995, newly appointed Denver Broncos head coachMike Shanahan drafted Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.[8] Davis enteredtraining camp as the sixth string tailback and was a longshot to make the team. He managed to impress the Broncos coaching staff after his second pre-season game, most notably with a crushing hit as a member ofspecial teams. Davis kept improving with each pre-season game and was promoted to starting running back for the season's opening game.[6] With Davis at running back, the Broncos possessed the potent running attack that they had previously lacked. Davis started 14 games during the 1995 season, carrying the ball 237 times, averaging 4.7 yards per run, and scoring eight touchdowns. Davis finished his season with a total of 1,117 rushing yards, becoming the lowest drafted player to ever gain over 1,000 yards rushing in hisrookie season.
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 rushingtouchdowns 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 toJacksonville. Davis was selected as a first-teamAll-Pro andPro Bowl for the first of three consecutive seasons.
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 joinedJohn 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 inSuper Bowl XXXII against the then-world championGreen Bay Packers, with 157 rushing yards and a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns despite having to sit out the second quarter due to amigraine. 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.
In1998, Davis rushed for 2,008 yards becoming a member of the2000 rushing yards club, the fourth-highest rushing total in history at the time. This performance earned him league MVP honors, his third straight AFC rushing title, his first NFL rushing title, and his second time being namedNFL Offensive Player of the Year by theAssociated Press. At the end of the season, the Broncos beatthe Atlanta Falcons inSuper Bowl XXXIII, with Davis recording 102 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards.
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 byJohn 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 thePro Bowl in the1996,1997, and 1998 seasons. Nicknamed "TD", Davis popularized the "Mile High Salute", a military-style salute given to fans and teammates in celebration of a touchdown; Davis explained in 2017 that he felt the "mentality" needed to play running back was similar to that for soldiers, and the gesture was a "sign of respect" for service members.[9]
After the 1998 season, Davis was plagued with injuries and saw action infrequently. In 1999, Davis tore theanterior cruciate ligament andmedial collateral ligament of his right knee while trying to make a tackle on aninterception thrown against theNew York Jets, during the fourth game of the season. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.[10]
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 ofarthroscopic surgery on both knees.[10]
Davisretired during the preseason of 2002. He walked through the tunnel in uniform for the final time during a preseason Denver–San Francisco 49ers matchup held atInvesco Field at Mile High. To astanding ovation, he gave a mile-high salute to the fans and was hugged by his teammates. After walking to midfield as the lone Broncos player at thecoin toss, Davis retreated to the sideline. He spent the second half in street clothes. The following week, upon his request, he was placed oninjured reserve, ending his season and effectively ending his career.[10]
Through his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 56 touchdowns. Among the 24 modern-eraHall of Fame halfbacks and fullbacks, onlyEarl Campbell (6,457, 4.6 yards per carry) andEric 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 forESPN's All-Time 40-ManSuper Bowl roster as a running back for his performances in Super BowlsXXXII andXXXIII.
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, andPeyton 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 withMarshawn Lynch andJohn Riggins.[11]
In 2004, Davis was inducted into theColorado Sports Hall of Fame.[12] Davis was one of the semifinalists for the 2007Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.[13]
On July 27, 2007, it was announced that Davis would be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.[14] His induction ceremony took place atInvesco Field at Mile High on September 23, 2007, in a Broncos home game againstthe Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2006, Davis was inducted into theBreitbard Hall of Fame.[15] On February 7, 2016, Davis and John Elway served as the Broncos' honorary captains atSuper Bowl 50 inSanta Clara, California. They also appeared at thepre-game ceremony honoring the past 50 Super Bowl MVPs. Davis was also one of the players who did the Trophy Presentation when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. On August 4, 2017, Davis was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in his eleventh year of eligibility.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| APNFL MVP &OPOTY | |
| AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year | |
| Super Bowl MVP | |
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| NFL record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| 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 | 5 | 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 | 78 | 1,655 | 7,607 | 4.6 | 71 | 60 | 169 | 1,280 | 7.6 | 35 | 5 | 20 | 8 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2000 | DEN | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||
| Career | 8 | 8 | 204 | 1,140 | 5.6 | 62 | 12 | 19 | 134 | 7.1 | 39 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
As of the 2018 NFL off-season, Terrell Davis held at least 46 Broncos franchise records, including:
After playing in the NFL, Davis worked forNFL Network as a correspondent and studio host for NFL Total Access. He also served as acolor commentator for someNFL Europe games covered by NFL Network.
Davis appeared onSesame Street in a skit withElmo,Telly Monster, and a talking football.[17] Elmo called Davis "the man" and Davis responded, "Thank you, thank you. I try!" The episode was filmed in December 1998 in New York, and Davis said on the episode ofAmerica's Game: The Super Bowl Champions profiling the 1998 Broncos that he was originally supposed to film the episode the day after Denver's week 15 matchup with theNew York Giants which was played inGiants Stadium in New Jersey. The plan was for Davis to stay behind in New York for the day while the rest of the team flew home, assuming that the Broncos would win. However, because the Giants defeated the Broncos, Davis had to return to Denver for a Monday practice/film session with the team and then fly back to New York the next day to film his parts.
Davis guest-starred onDisney Channel'sThe Jersey, in an episode called "They Say It's Your Birthday" along with other sports starsShannon Sharpe,Tim Brown,Hardy Nickerson, andTony Siragusa. The episode originally aired on October 21, 2000.
Davis appeared on the season 5 finale of the sitcomSister, Sister at the twins' graduation to give a speech.
Davis appeared on the August 29, 2008 episode ofThe Colbert Report to analyze the acceptance speech given by U.S.Democratic Party nomineeBarack Obama atInvesco Field at Mile High a day earlier.
In 2023, Davis made a special guest appearance on an episode ofParamount Network'sBar Rescue, hosted byJon Taffer, along with current NFL playersCourtland Sutton,Justin Simmons,Kareem Jackson, andBradley Chubb.
Davis resides inTemecula, California, with his wifeTamiko Nash. They have three children: sons Jackson and Myles, and daughter Dylan.[18] 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 gameNFL GameDay 99 by989 Sports. He made an appearance inMadden NFL 2006, serving as the player's mentor in the new NFL Superstar Mode and adds his voice to the game.
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.[19] Employee Jana Pelnis testified that she had sex with Davis in the club. Kaplan later pleaded guilty and was fined $5 million.[20] A sentence of three years in jail was put on the table, but Kaplan instead received a sentence of 16 months and 400 hours of community service.[21] Davis was never charged with any criminal wrongdoing. However,Campbell Soups dropped him from their advertising shortly thereafter.
In September 2006, Davis filed a lawsuit againstLiberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. for breach of contract over its refusal to defend him in a lawsuit related to a tussle at theHollywood Roosevelt Hotel. In the lawsuit against the hotel, Davis claimed he was assaulted by two bouncers during a party at the hotel's Tropicana Bar in October 2005. Davis said he suffered a bruised neck and damage to a surgically repairedhip.[22] Davis and the insurance company reached a settlement, so the case was dismissed in January 2007.
In July 2024, Davis was accused of hitting aUnited Airlines flight attendant while traveling with his wife and children from Denver. When the plane arrived atJohn Wayne Airport in California, an FBI agent placed him in handcuffs and removed him from the plane. After interviewing Davis and other passengers, the FBI released him from custody when it was determined the flight attendant had made an inaccurate accusation.[23] United apologized for the incident and claimed it took the flight attendant "out of rotation" while the matter was investigated.[24][25] On July 23, Davis' legal team released a video of their client being removed from the plane and said it would be filing a lawsuit against United.[26][27] By July 30, United said the flight attendant was no longer employed with the company and Davis had been removed from its no-fly list.[28]
| International | |
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| National | |
