Terrell Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Terrell Davis

Davis in 2005
No. 30
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1972-10-28) October 28, 1972 (age 52) 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 / Round: 6 / Pick: 196
Career history
Denver Broncos (1995–2001)
Career highlights and awards
2× Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII) Super Bowl MVP (XXXII) NFL Most Valuable Player (1998) 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1996, 1998) 3× First-team All-Pro (1996–1998) 3× Pro Bowl (1996–1998) NFL rushing yards leader (1998) 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1997, 1998) NFL 1990s All-Decade Team PFWA All-Rookie Team (1995) Denver Broncos Ring of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 7,607 Yards per carry: 4.6 Rushing touchdowns: 60
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is a famous American former football player. He played as a running back for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos' all-time leading rusher. He also holds the record for the most touchdowns in a single postseason, with eight in 1997.

Terrell Davis is known for starting the "Mile High Salute." This is a special celebration that Denver Broncos players do after scoring a touchdown. Davis was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Even though he played for only seven years, many people think he is one of the best running backs ever. He was picked by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL draft. His nickname was "T. D.", which stood for his initials and also for "touchdown." In 1998, he became only the fourth NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in one season.

Early Life and High School Football

Terrell Davis was born on October 28, 1972. His mother, Kateree Davis, was a nurse and had eight children. Terrell's father, Joe Davis, passed away when Terrell was 14 years old.

When he was a senior at Lincoln High School, his coaches gave him a chance to play fullback. He also played other positions, like kicker. He helped his team achieve a great record of 12 wins and 2 losses. Davis was also a talented athlete in track and field. He set a school record in the discus throw. After high school, Davis went to Long Beach State University to play baseball. His brother, Reggie Webb, who was a football player there, helped him get a scholarship to play football.

College Football Journey

At Long Beach State, Davis joined the football team. The team was coached by George Allen, a former coach for the Washington Redskins. Davis did not play in his first year, which is called redshirting. This gave him an extra year to play later. Coach Allen passed away after the 1990 season, so Davis never played an official game for him. In his first season playing, Davis ran for 262 yards.

Long Beach State stopped its football program in 1991 because of money problems. So, Davis moved to the University of Georgia. In his first year with the Bulldogs, he was a backup to Garrison Hearst, who later played in the NFL. After Hearst left, Davis became the main running back in 1993. He rushed for 824 yards that season.

His senior year in 1994 started tough because he hurt his hamstring muscle. This injury kept him out of three games. He still managed to run for 445 yards that year. In his last two games, he ran for over 100 yards in each. Because of his injuries, some NFL teams were worried about drafting him. Davis earned a degree in Consumer Economics from the University of Georgia.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

In 1995, Mike Shanahan became the new head coach for the Denver Broncos. He chose Terrell Davis in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Davis started training camp as the sixth running back. It was not expected that he would make the team. But he impressed the coaches, especially with a big hit on special teams in a preseason game. Davis kept getting better and became the starting running back for the first game of the season.

With Davis, the Broncos had a strong running game. In 1995, his rookie season, Davis started 14 games. He ran the ball 237 times, gaining 1,117 yards and scoring eight touchdowns. He became the lowest-drafted player to ever rush for over 1,000 yards in his first year.

In 1996, Davis signed a new five-year contract worth $6.8 million. That season, he rushed for 1,538 yards. He also set a Broncos record with 13 rushing touchdowns. The Broncos finished with a 13–3 record, one of the best in the NFL. Davis was chosen as a first-team All-Pro and played in the Pro Bowl. He earned these honors for three years in a row.

Super Bowl Wins: 1997 and 1998

In 1997, Davis had an even better year. He rushed for 1,750 yards and led the league with 15 rushing touchdowns. The Broncos, with a 12–4 record, played the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first playoff game. Davis ran for 184 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in a big 42–17 win. He rushed for over 100 yards in all four of Denver's playoff games. This made him only the second player to do so in a single postseason.

Davis was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31–24. Davis rushed for 157 yards and scored a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns. He even had to sit out part of the game because of a migraine. This victory was very important because the Broncos had lost their four previous Super Bowl games. It also ended a 13-year losing streak for the AFC conference.

In 1998, Davis had an amazing season. He rushed for 2,008 yards, joining a small group of players who reached the 2000 rushing yards club. This was the fourth-highest rushing total in history at the time. For this great performance, he was named the league's MVP. He also won his third straight AFC rushing title and his first NFL rushing title. He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year for the second time. At the end of the season, the Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. Davis rushed for 102 yards and caught passes for 50 yards in that game.

Super Bowl XXXIII was the last playoff game Davis played. In his 8 playoff games from 1996 to 1998, he had incredible stats. He ran for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 131 yards. He had a streak of 7 games in a row with over 100 rushing yards in the playoffs. The Broncos won all of those games.

Davis was chosen for the Pro Bowl in the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. His "Mile High Salute" celebration became very popular. Davis said in 2017 that playing running back needed a similar mindset to soldiers. He said the salute was a "sign of respect" for service members.

Later Career and Retirement

After the 1998 season, Davis had many injuries. He did not play as often. In 1999, he tore two important ligaments in his right knee. This happened while he was trying to tackle a player after an interception against the New York Jets. This injury kept him out for the rest of the year.

In the 2000 season, Davis missed all but five games because of a leg injury. In 2001, he played in only eight games after having surgery on both knees.

Davis retired before the 2002 season began. He walked onto the field in his uniform one last time during a preseason game. The fans gave him a standing ovation. He gave a "Mile High Salute" to the fans and hugged his teammates. After the coin toss, he went to the sideline. He spent the second half in regular clothes. The next week, he was placed on injured reserve, which ended his season and his career.

In his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards and 56 touchdowns. Only a few other Hall of Fame running backs had more rushing yards in their first four seasons. No Hall of Famer matched his 56 rushing touchdowns in their first four years. Davis was chosen for ESPN's All-Time 40-Man Super Bowl roster. This was because of his great performances in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.

Overall, Davis finished his seven NFL seasons with 7,607 rushing yards. He also had 169 catches for 1,280 yards. He scored 65 touchdowns in total (60 rushing and 5 receiving). He, John Elway, and Peyton Manning are the only three Broncos players to be named league MVP. Davis is one of only six players to rush for over 1,000 yards in the playoffs (1,140). He is the only one to do this in a career shorter than 12 seasons. Davis finished his career with 12 playoff rushing touchdowns. This ties him for fourth all-time with Marshawn Lynch and John Riggins.

Honors and Awards

Davis in Denver in 2017

In 2004, Terrell Davis was added to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. He was also a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of being eligible.

On July 27, 2007, it was announced that Davis would be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. His special ceremony happened on September 23, 2007, at Invesco Field at Mile High. In 2006, Davis was also inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame. On February 7, 2016, Davis and John Elway were honorary captains for the Broncos at Super Bowl 50. They also appeared at the ceremony honoring past Super Bowl MVPs. Davis was one of the players who presented the trophy when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. On August 4, 2017, Davis was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Postseason Stats

Broncos and NFL Records

Terrell Davis holds many records for the Denver Broncos. These include:

• Most rushing attempts in a career (1,655) and in a single season (392 in 1998).
• Most rushing yards in a career (7,607) and in a single season (2,008 in 1998).
• Most rushing touchdowns in a career (60) and in a single season (21 in 1998).
• He had 41 games where he rushed for over 100 yards.
• He had 14 games in both 1997 and 1998 where he rushed for over 100 yards.

He also holds several NFL records:

• Most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason (8 in 1997).
• He is the only player in NFL history to have over 2,000 rushing yards and over 20 rushing touchdowns in one season.
• He was the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards and win the Super Bowl in the same season.
• He has the highest career average yards per postseason game (142.5).
• He had 7 consecutive playoff games with over 100 rushing yards.

Life After Football

After his NFL career, Davis worked for NFL Network. He was a reporter and host for their show NFL Total Access. He also helped commentate on some NFL Europe games.

Other Appearances

Davis appeared on Sesame Street in a fun skit with Elmo and Telly Monster. He also guest-starred on Disney Channel's The Jersey. He was in an episode called "They Say It's Your Birthday" with other sports stars. Davis also appeared on the TV show Sister, Sister to give a speech at a graduation.

In 2008, Davis was on The Colbert Report to talk about a speech given by Barack Obama. More recently, in 2023, Davis made a special guest appearance on Paramount Network's Bar Rescue. He was on the show with current NFL players like Courtland Sutton and Justin Simmons.

Personal Life

Terrell Davis lives in Temecula, California, with his wife, Tamiko Nash. They have three children: two sons named Jackson and Myles, and a daughter named Dylan. He wrote a book about his life called TD: Dreams in Motion. He wrote it after his first Super Bowl win. Later, a chapter was added to cover his MVP season and second championship.

Davis was on the cover of the video game NFL GameDay 99. He also appeared in Madden NFL 2006. In that game, he was the player's mentor in the NFL Superstar Mode and provided his voice.

See also

In Spanish: Terrell Davis para niños