Editing Terrell Davis (section)

==Professional career==
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|         note = All values from the 1995 [[NFL Combine]]<ref>{{Cite web| url= http://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?f=Terrell&l=Davis&i=23522|title=Terrell Davis {{pipe}} Combine Results {{pipe}} RB - Georgia| website= nflcombineresults.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref>
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In 1995, newly appointed Denver Broncos head coach [[Mike Shanahan]] drafted Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1995 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1995/draft.htm |access-date=March 31, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com| publisher=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}</ref> Davis entered [[NFL Training Camp|training 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 of [[special teams]]. Davis kept improving with each pre-season game and was promoted to starting running back for the season's opening game.<ref name="motion"/> 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 his [[rookie]] 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. [[1996 Denver Broncos season|That season]], he rushed for a total of 1,538 yards and set a Denver Broncos record for rushing [[touchdown]]s 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 to [[1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville]]. Davis was selected as a first-team [[All-Pro]] and [[Pro Bowl]] for the first of three consecutive seasons.

===1997, Super Bowl XXXII===
{{see also|1997 Denver Broncos season|Super Bowl XXXII}}
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 joined [[John 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 in [[Super Bowl XXXII]] against the then-world champion [[1997 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]], with 157 rushing yards and a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns despite having to sit out the second quarter due to a [[migraine]]. 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.

===1998, Super Bowl XXXIII===
{{see also|1998 Denver Broncos season|Super Bowl XXXIII}}
In [[1998 Denver Broncos season|1998]], Davis rushed for 2,008 yards becoming a member of the [[2000 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 named [[NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award|NFL Offensive Player of the Year]] by the [[Associated Press]]. At the end of the season, the Broncos beat [[1998 Atlanta Falcons season|the Atlanta Falcons]] in [[Super 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 by [[John 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 the [[Pro Bowl]] in the [[1996 NFL season|1996]], [[1997 NFL season|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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jhabvala|first=Nicki|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/05/terrell-davis-mile-high-salute/|title=Terrell Davis, Hall of Famer, explains his signature Mile High Salute|newspaper=[[The Denver Post]]|date=August 5, 2017|access-date=August 30, 2024}}</ref>

===Later career===
After the 1998 season, Davis was plagued with injuries and saw action infrequently. In 1999, Davis tore the [[anterior cruciate ligament]] and [[medial collateral ligament]] of his right knee while trying to make a tackle on an [[interception]] thrown against the [[1999 New York Jets season|New York Jets]], during the fourth game of the season. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.<ref name="injuries">{{cite web| url= https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/broncos/2002-08-18-davis-retires.htm |title=Davis Says Goodbye |publisher= | work= usatoday.com |date=August 20, 2002 |access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>

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 of [[Arthroscopy|arthroscopic surgery]] on both knees.<ref name= "injuries" />

Davis [[retirement|retired]] during the preseason of 2002. He walked through the tunnel in uniform for the final time during a preseason Denver–[[2002 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] matchup held at [[Invesco Field at Mile High]]. To a [[standing 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 the [[coin flipping|coin toss]], Davis retreated to the sideline. He spent the second half in street clothes. The following week, upon his request, he was placed on [[injured reserve]], ending his season and effectively ending his career.<ref name="injuries" />

Through his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 56 touchdowns. Among the 24 modern-era [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] halfbacks and fullbacks, only [[Earl Campbell]] (6,457, 4.6 yards per carry) and [[Eric 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 for [[ESPN]]'s All-Time 40-Man [[Super Bowl]] roster as a running back for his performances in Super Bowls [[Super Bowl XXXII|XXXII]] and [[Super Bowl XXXIII|XXXIII]].

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]], and [[Peyton 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 with [[Marshawn Lynch]] and [[John Riggins]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NFL Rushing Touchdowns Career Leaders |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_td_career_playoffs.htm |website= pro-football-reference.com |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=February 11, 2020 |date=February 11, 2020}}</ref>