Selected in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft out of Georgia, Terrell Davis arrived in training camp as a longshot before a ferocious special teams tackle on kickoff coverage in preseason action caught head coach Mike Shanahan’s eye. Davis quickly seized the starting job, making history as the lowest-drafted rookie running back to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards when he compiled 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns in his debut campaign.

That incredible start set the stage for what many consider the greatest three-year peak by any running back in NFL history. From 1996 to 1998, "T.D." was a powerhouse in Alex Gibbs' zone-blocking scheme, rushing for an amazing 5,296 yards, gaining 6,125 total yards from scrimmage, and scoring 53 touchdowns in the regular season alone. In 1996, he truly broke through with 1,538 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns, earning his first First-Team All-Pro honor. He raised the bar even higher in 1997, leading the NFL with 15 rushing touchdowns, while rushing for 1,750 yards and adding another 287 yards through the air. Playing a key role alongside John Elway, Davis helped lead Denver to a win in Super Bowl XXXII, earning MVP honors after rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns against Green Bay, even while battling a severe migraine that temporarily affected his vision.

His legendary run reached its peak in 1998, a truly standout year when Davis made history by breaking the 2,000-yard mark. Winning the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards, he rushed for an impressive 2,008 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Averaging an incredible 5.3 yards per carry, he wrapped up his incredible season by earning a second straight championship ring in Super Bowl XXXIII. Over this remarkable three-year period, Davis was a unanimous First-Team All-Pro choice every year, setting the benchmark for excellence in the backfield.

Beyond his regular-season excellence, Davis stepped up even more during crucial moments. He is arguably the most dominant postseason running back in football history, with an impressive 1,140 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight playoff games—an average of 142.5 yards per game. He has won all eight games and recorded seven straight 100-yard rushing performances.

It was an incredible run, but fate had other plans.

Early in the 1999 season, he sustained a torn ACL and MCL while attempting to make a tackle following an interception, shattering his knee. Severe injuries hampered him over his final three seasons, holding him to only 17 games from 1999 to 2001. The pain was too much, forcing a premature retirement in 2001 at just 29 years old.

In his time at Mile High, Davis accumulated 7,607 rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns, alongside 1,280 receiving yards and five touchdown catches for 8,887 total yards from scrimmage. The Broncos inducted him into the Ring of Fame in 2007, and his legendary peak was immortalized when he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.