Gold Jacket Spotlight: Terrell Davis fueled career-changing tackle with sideline hot dog
Gold Jacket Spotlight
Published on : 8/19/2024
Sitting in a Tokyo hotel prior to the American Bowl in August 1995, TERRELL DAVIS, a sixth-round draft choice of the Denver Broncos, was prepared to quit the team and return to the United States.
Because of Terrell’s inability to communicate with hotel staff and share his desire to arrange a flight home, in part because of the language barrier, he was resigned to remain in Japan and join the team at the game.
That unsuccessful flight plan, hot dogs and a spectacular tackle that impacted Terrell’s Pro Football Hall of Fame career all are included in this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.
Terrell sat through the first half of the international game and a portion of the second half on the bench, with no indication he would get on the field.
Considering he hadn’t played in the team’s initial preseason game the week prior, it was logical for him to assume he wasn’t going to see action in the Tokyo contest against the San Francisco 49ers, either. With that in mind, Terrell, the 196th overall draft selection low on the depth chart, joined veteran Broncos players on the sidelines eating hot dogs.
Enter the special teams coach.
He informed Terrell (and his full stomach) that he would be entering the game as part of the kickoff coverage team.
Terrell responded by making a jarring tackle against San Francisco returner Tyronne Drakeford that caught the attention of the Broncos’ coaches and teammates — and changed the trajectory of his professional career.
In a “Road to the Hall” production, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Bronco STEVE ATWATER declared, “He just laid the returner out. The whole sidelines went crazy. I was so happy for him. That basically started the career of Terrell Davis as a Denver Bronco.”
Impressed by Terrell’s effort, teammates implored coaches to give him additional repetitions.
“He makes the big hit on special teams, and we’re all on the sideline going, ‘Hey, give the rook a chance. Let him run the ball,’ ” former teammate Mark Schlereth explained. “Then he starts ripping off 6-yard, 8-yard, 12-yard, 8-yard (carries), and you’re like, ‘This kid’s got a little something to him.’ ”
Broncos quarterback and Hall of Famer, JOHN ELWAY, acknowledged, “Prime example of being down on the depth chart and not getting a lot of opportunities. Then, when he did get the opportunity over in Japan on the special teams and made that big hit, Terrell obviously opened everybody’s eyes. He just took off from there.”
“It was a phenomenal ascension from No. 6 on the depth chart to No. 1 on the depth chart,” added Schlereth.
That well-earned rise in depth chart position resulted in a career that included Terrell being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1996 and 1998, NFL Most Valuable Player in 1998 and Super Bowl XXXII Most Valuable Player. Terrell was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s and was the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards rushing in a season.
While reflecting with sports commentator Rich Eisen about his failed attempt to depart Tokyo early and quit the team Terrell offered, “Don’t give up on yourself. That’s the lesson I learned. Don’t quit on yourself. Enough people are going to quit on you; you don’t have to quit on yourself.”
In 1999, Terrell attempted to make a tackle during an opponent’s return of an interception. The resulting knee injury effectively ended his career.
“I just know how to play the game one way,” Terrell told Joe Buck when reviewing the effort. “It’s kind of ironic that my career started with a tackle. And, the irony is, it kind of ended trying to make a tackle.”
A career that almost didn’t happen.
Because of Terrell’s inability to communicate with hotel staff and share his desire to arrange a flight home, in part because of the language barrier, he was resigned to remain in Japan and join the team at the game.
That unsuccessful flight plan, hot dogs and a spectacular tackle that impacted Terrell’s Pro Football Hall of Fame career all are included in this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.
Terrell sat through the first half of the international game and a portion of the second half on the bench, with no indication he would get on the field.
Considering he hadn’t played in the team’s initial preseason game the week prior, it was logical for him to assume he wasn’t going to see action in the Tokyo contest against the San Francisco 49ers, either. With that in mind, Terrell, the 196th overall draft selection low on the depth chart, joined veteran Broncos players on the sidelines eating hot dogs.
Enter the special teams coach.
He informed Terrell (and his full stomach) that he would be entering the game as part of the kickoff coverage team.
Terrell responded by making a jarring tackle against San Francisco returner Tyronne Drakeford that caught the attention of the Broncos’ coaches and teammates — and changed the trajectory of his professional career.
In a “Road to the Hall” production, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Bronco STEVE ATWATER declared, “He just laid the returner out. The whole sidelines went crazy. I was so happy for him. That basically started the career of Terrell Davis as a Denver Bronco.”
Impressed by Terrell’s effort, teammates implored coaches to give him additional repetitions.
“He makes the big hit on special teams, and we’re all on the sideline going, ‘Hey, give the rook a chance. Let him run the ball,’ ” former teammate Mark Schlereth explained. “Then he starts ripping off 6-yard, 8-yard, 12-yard, 8-yard (carries), and you’re like, ‘This kid’s got a little something to him.’ ”
Broncos quarterback and Hall of Famer, JOHN ELWAY, acknowledged, “Prime example of being down on the depth chart and not getting a lot of opportunities. Then, when he did get the opportunity over in Japan on the special teams and made that big hit, Terrell obviously opened everybody’s eyes. He just took off from there.”
“It was a phenomenal ascension from No. 6 on the depth chart to No. 1 on the depth chart,” added Schlereth.
That well-earned rise in depth chart position resulted in a career that included Terrell being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1996 and 1998, NFL Most Valuable Player in 1998 and Super Bowl XXXII Most Valuable Player. Terrell was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s and was the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards rushing in a season.
While reflecting with sports commentator Rich Eisen about his failed attempt to depart Tokyo early and quit the team Terrell offered, “Don’t give up on yourself. That’s the lesson I learned. Don’t quit on yourself. Enough people are going to quit on you; you don’t have to quit on yourself.”
In 1999, Terrell attempted to make a tackle during an opponent’s return of an interception. The resulting knee injury effectively ended his career.
“I just know how to play the game one way,” Terrell told Joe Buck when reviewing the effort. “It’s kind of ironic that my career started with a tackle. And, the irony is, it kind of ended trying to make a tackle.”
A career that almost didn’t happen.
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