Georgia football: remembering Bulldog and Super Bowl legend Terrell Davis

Georgia football has two running backs starting this weekend’s Super Bowl. One of the greatest backs in Super Bowl history also happens to be a former Dawg.

Todd Gurley vs. Sony Michel. That’s the narrative of Super Bowl LIII to the Bulldog Nation. Both Georgia football legends will help lead their teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots, into Sunday’s clash for pro football supremacy.

20 years ago, Georgia had another great running back playing in the Super Bowl. For a period of time, he was the best running back in the NFL. And he still ranks among the best running backs when it comes to Super Bowl performances. That player was of course, Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis.

“T.D.” helped lead the Broncos to Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII. And in those games, he dominated, even winning the Super Bowl XXXII Most Valuable Player Award. In that game, he crushed the Green Bay Packer defense to the tune of 157 yards and three touchdowns. The Broncos needed all of those points and yards to defeat the Packers 31-24. Especially the last points Davis scored on a touchdown with just 1:45 on the clock to break a 24-24 tie. Those three scores also helped him set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a postseason with eight total.

A year later, he rushed for 2,008 yards in the regular season, with 21 touchdowns rushing and two more receiving. The Broncos won the AFC West and breezed through the post season back to Super Bowl XXXIII where they faced the Atlanta Falcons. Davis didn’t score against the Falcons, but his 102 yards helped keep the Atlanta offense off the field while the Denver offense went on six scoring drives to win 34-19.

Besides his Super Bowl performances, Davis was known for many other accomplishments superlatives, including his 2,008-yard season. He’s known as the last piece of Denver’s Super Bowl puzzle. The franchise had previously gone to three Super Bowls with quarterback John Elway and the offense was dominated every time. In each game, their lack of a dominant running game made them one dimensional, which proved fatal against the great defenses of the 49ers, Redskins and Giants.

And to think, Davis barely became a Bronco at all. After a sometimes good, always injury filled two seasons at Georgia, Denver drafted Davis in the sixth round (196 overall) of the 1995 draft. He initially proved himself on special teams in the preseason. He quickly earned the starting job and rushed for 1,117 yards with seven touchdowns as a rookie. He surpassed that effort with 1,538 yards and 15 scores. And in his Super Bowl MVP season, rushed for 1,750 yards with 15 touchdowns. His 2,008-yard season in 1998 helped him earn the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.

That year ended up being his peak. He only appeared in 17 games over the following three seasons. But what he accomplished in those first four seasons was more than enough to earn him a place in Canton. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 with career totals of 7,607 yards, plus 1,280 receiving yards with 65 total touchdowns.

With just two touchdowns this Sunday, Sony Michel can claim second place, right beside Davis on the list of the most postseason rushing scores. But with three, the Bulldog Nation can be proud knowing the top spot is shared by two Bulldogs. of course Todd Gurley can play a great game as well. Regardless of how you feel about either team, for us Georgia football fans, the spectacle will be seeing our beloved Bulldog legends shining on the big stage, much like T.D. did 20 years ago.