ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Terrell Davis’ resume includes many runs, many wins and two Super Bowl trophies.
His former Denver Broncos teammates say they’re able to flash their Super Bowl rings because of what Davis did in the biggest moments. Even John Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback who has also won a title as a Broncos executive, has said: “I know what a Hall of Famer looks like, and TD is a Hall of Famer.”
Davis was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, attaining 80 percent approval from the 48-person selection committee. The running back was a league MVP and Super Bowl MVP, rushed for 2,000 yards in a season, and powered the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Broncos to close out the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
Elway and former teammates Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe — another Hall of Famer — can easily recall a long list of moments when Davis lifted the Broncos. Two of the three Lombardi trophies in the lobby of Broncos’ suburban Denver complex are certainly proof.
They also remember the one play that changed everything, the one before Davis became TD, before he had rushed for a single yard in a regular-season game, before Davis was anything but a sixth-round pick trying to hang on in the Broncos’ depth chart. It is a play so steeped in Broncos’ lore that former coach Gary Kubiak used to show the video to the rookie class as proof of what can happen when work and belief intersect.
“It was one of those plays, you just knew there was something in there,” said Smith, one of the league’s best players to not be drafted. “I tell guys all the time, to stay in this league you have to get noticed one time. Then you have to get noticed every day after that, but that first time, that’s the one. You have to make those guys upstairs stop the tape and rewind it to look again and remember your name and your story. Especially if you’re not one of those first-round guys.”
For Davis, that moment likely came Aug. 6, 1995. In a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers played in Tokyo, Davis grabbed the Broncos by their proverbial lapels at about 11 a.m. Denver time.
In the third quarter, Davis roared down the field on kickoff coverage and blasted 49ers kick returner Tyronne Drakeford. Davis plowed into Drakeford at the 20-yard line, lifted him off his feet, and launched him 3 yards backward, landing on top of him to end the play.
It was a sliver of a moment from a preseason game that was filed away, but if every journey begins with a first step, that was Davis’. Mike Shanahan, the coach who eventually told his quarterbacks to hand the ball to Davis 1,655 times over the next seven seasons, said that play made him notice Davis.
“It’s just your gut,” Shanahan said. “You look at players, see how they work, how they carry themselves, but sometimes something just sticks out at you and is that gut feel. We had watched TD work in practice, looked at what he did, how he carried himself — but that play, that was a gut-feel play.”
Davis said the hit in Tokyo meant more as time went on than in that moment.
“I just wanted to show I could tackle somebody on special teams if they kept me around,” Davis said.
It was the launching point for one of the best postseason players at any position in the Super Bowl era.
In the years that followed, the Broncos won 91.7 percent of their games in the regular season and postseason when Davis rushed for at least 100 yards. The only two backs in league history to average more than 100 yards rushing per game in the regular season and postseason combined are Jim Brown and Davis.
And it all started when Davis didn’t even have a football in his hands.
HOUSTON — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was named NFL MVP at Saturday night’s NFL Honors awards show, capping a career-best season in which he guided the team to its first Super Bowl appearance since 1999.
Ryan, 31, received 25 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. Tom Brady of the New England Patriots finished second with 10 votes, followed by Dallas Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott and the Oakland Raiders’ Derek Carr, who each received six votes.
Ryan also won the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award Saturday, beating out Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers 15½ votes to 11. He passed for 4,944 passing yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions and led the NFL with a 117.1 passer rating, helping the Falcons score a league-high 540 points.
Being named MVP cemented Matt Ryan’s spot among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks; now his challenge will be to make the Falcons an annual title contender.
The 2017 class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is set, with LaDainian Tomlinson, Kurt Warner, Jason Taylor, Terrell Davis, Morten Andersen, Jerry Jones and Kenny Easley making it.
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“I just want to say thank you, and this is an incredible honor for me,” Ryan said in a video that was shown during the awards show. “Obviously, there are so many other great candidates and players who had amazing seasons. I want to thank all of teammates; obviously without them, none of this is possible. We’ve had so many guys on our team make great plays and have great seasons for us, so thank you to those guys.”
The third overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Ryan guided the Falcons to an 11-5 record, the NFC South title and their first playoff berth since the 2012 season.
It marked the second consecutive year a quarterback from the NFC South was named MVP, following Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers.
“If you’re looking at consistency this year, I think you can talk about Matt Ryan,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “I think a lot of that’s coming out of last year. I think that I would say that it’s due to probably the offseason work that he put in himself personally, to some commitments he made on the West Coast to support his training, his offseason programming. I think he and Kyle Shanahan have been on a much better communication path than they were in their first year. I think Matt’s understanding of the system is certainly greater than it had been in Year 1.
“I think his ability to feel comfortable turning his back to the line of scrimmage, partly due to [center] Alex Mack, partly due to the offensive line withstanding their role staying together and carrying back when releasing the ball. I think all of that is critical. His ability to pass on the move and do it in an accurate fashion, all of that’s gotten much better. That started from day one and has continued throughout the season.”
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler, was considered to be the front-runner for the MVP award after being named first-team All-Pro, ahead of Super Bowl counterpart and two-time MVP Brady. As he evolved into the lead MVP candidate, Ryan maintained a team-oriented approach whenever he discussed the possibility of achieving the league’s highest individual honor.
In his ninth season, Ryan set franchise single-season records in passing yards and touchdowns as well as completion percentage (69.9), passer rating (117.1), and passes of 25-plus yards (42). He also set a franchise single-game record with 503 passing yards in a 48-33 victory over Carolina. Ryan completed 373 of 534 passes through 16 games while throwing just seven interceptions.
He established an NFL first, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, by completing touchdown passes to 13 targets during the regular season. Ryan completed passes to 15 receivers overall.
During a four-game winning streak to end the season, Ryan threw 11 touchdowns with no interceptions. He entered the season intent on cutting down turnovers after 21 miscues in 2015 (16 interceptions, five lost fumbles).
If you’re betting on Super Bowl LI on Sunday — and since the AGA estimates that Americans will bet $4.7 billion on the game, the chances are pretty good — below is a handy file with all of ESPN Chalk’s content.
From gambling profiles on both teams to Chris Berman’s final “Swami” pick to our 4,500-word betting guide, it’s all here.
Enjoy the game!
Follow Chalk on Twitter, Facebook
Spread: Opened New England -3; now New England -3 Total: Opened 58; now 59
Public consensus pick: 68 percent pick New England
Newsers
Big Super Bowl LI bets began trickling in at sportsbooks on Friday, including a $1 million wager on the underdog Atlanta Falcons. Read »
Americans will stake an estimated $4.7 billion on Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and underdog Atlanta Falcons, according to numbers released Tuesday by the American Gaming Association. Read »
Vic Beasley Jr. is getting a surprisingly large number of bets to win MVP at 50-1 in Vegas. Read »
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook is offering nearly 400 prop bets on Super Bowl LI. Read »
When the NFL season kicked off in September, sportsbook operator CG Technology had taken more bets on the Cleveland Browns to win the Super Bowl than it had on the Falcons. Read »
Prop bet scorecard
Watching Super Bowl LI on Sunday but don’t want to put any money on the game? Fear not, ESPN Chalk has a printable prop bet scorecard for your Super Bowl party. Printable prop bet scorecard »
Analysis, picks
Ultimate Super Bowl LI betting guide
If you’re betting on Super Bowl LI, this is the file for you. Five of our NFL experts give their opinions on the side (New England -3), total (59) and over 20 proposition bets. Read
Biggest Super Bowl LI bets
Well over $100 million will be wagered on Super Bowl LI this week at Nevada sportsbooks. ESPN Chalk will keep you updated on all of the biggest bets leading up to Sunday’s game. Read »
Swami Sez: Chris Berman’s Super Bowl LI pick
It’s Atlanta’s high-powered offense against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and New England’s stout D in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Sunday. Which team wins? “The Swami” makes his final pick. Read »
How I’m betting Super Bowl LI
Our resident NFL wiseguy, Rufus Peabody, gives some of his favorite bets for Super Bowl LI, including picks for the game, total and six prop bets. Read
Dion Lewis’ run-after-the-catch skills and Vic Beasley’s ability to pressure Tom Brady without having to blitz figure to have a big impact on the outcome of Super Bowl LI.
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Bookmaker roundtable: Super Bowl LI line moves, sharp bets and props
Four of the top bookmakers in Las Vegas reveal the biggest bets they’ve taken, line moves, and the most popular prop bets for Super Bowl LI. Read »
Vegas oddsmakers, celeb picks for Super Bowl LI
Carrot Top, Jon Lovitz, George Wallace and Jay Kornegay. What do they have in common? They are all part of our Super Bowl LI celebrity picks file. Read »
Betting nuggets to know for Super Bowl LI
Looking to bet on Super Bowl LI this Sunday? Here are the most intriguing betting nuggets you need to know before placing a wager on the game. Read »
How I’m holding a 100-1 ticket on the Falcons
Dating back to Super Bowl 50, Chalk’s Dave Tuley had given the Atlanta Falcons out as his top value bet to win it all this season. Here is the story of how he was able to secure the bet at 100-1 odds. Read »
Is New England the best ATS team in history?
Mackenzie Kraemer takes a look through history to see where this year’s New England Patriots rank in terms of the all-time best ATS teams. Not all of them ended up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Read »
Super Bowl LI betting profile: Atlanta Falcons
How did the Falcons treat bettors this season? We break down the Falcons’ 10-6 ATS mark this season, including a full game-by-game look from a gambling perspective. Read
Super Bowl LI betting profile: New England Patriots
How did the Patriots treat bettors this season? We break down the Patriots’ incredible 15-3 ATS mark this season, including a full game-by-game look from a gambling perspective. Read
Bettors’ guide to all 50 Super Bowls
Need to know which team won and covered Super Bowl XLV? What about Super Bowl VII or XX? Here is a full summary of the against-the-spread results for all 50 previous Super Bowls. Read »
Podcasts
Anita Marks and Dave Tuley break down every betting angle of Super Bowl LI, from the game to the most intriguing prop bets and much more. Listen
Chad Millman and Bob Scucci discuss who the wiseguys are picking in Super Bowl LI. Plus, Evan Young (the Get Your Prop Up In Vegas contest winner) joins the show. Listen
HOUSTON — This is how New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s interactions with reporters at Super Bowl LI began:
“Big bro,” he said, looking up at a questioner holding a microphone.
“Hey, little brother,” former teammate Willie McGinest, working for NFL Network, responded.
The exchange highlighted how Brady views the Patriots’ locker room. When he arrived in 2000 as a sixth-round draft choice out of Michigan, he looked up to bigger brothers like McGinest, who had been there since 1994.
Now Brady, 39, is the big brother to everyone in the room.
At Super Bowl LI, returning briefly to the role as the little brother, his joy in seeing McGinest kicked off a three-hours-over-four-days stretch in which he filled reporters’ notebooks while wearing his heart on his Under Armour sleeve at times. By McGinest’s second question, which reminded Brady that this would be his last game in his 30s while asking how much longer he wants to play, Brady was laughing.
Call it a tone-setter for the week.
“You taught me; [in] 2004, you said this is what you got to do, and I listened,” Brady said to McGinest. “It’s nice to feel better as the season goes. To be an older player and have the mental experience, and then to also feel great physically, I think it’s a great benefit for me. Hopefully I can keep going. I don’t see any end in sight.”
Much has been written about Brady this week, so let’s empty out the rest of the notebook with some leftover nuggets ahead of the Patriots’ meeting Sunday with the Atlanta Falcons.
Tom Brady has been all over Houston this week, including on the walls Friday at ESPN The Party. Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for ESPN
McGinest ribs Brady. Before wrapping up his opening interview, McGinest asked Brady, “Did Trump call you?” But McGinest quickly said, “I’m joking, don’t answer that question.” Brady played along. “Not you! You’re not supposed to ask those questions!”
Not into the “best ever” discussion. There were multiple times Brady was asked about others referring to him as the best quarterback of all time, and his answer was the same each time: That’s not why he plays the game. “That was never the reason why I wanted to play this game, to be the best,” he said. “I played football because I love playing with my teammates. The best times are when you’re hanging with your friends on the bus ride, when you’re in the locker room, when you see old teammates and talk about all the great years you’ve had. … It was never to be in some talk/discussion about where you ranked with somebody else. Those have never been important to me.”
Belichick booster. Brady said he has never imagined playing for a head coach other than Bill Belichick. “To me, he’s the greatest coach of all time. He sets a great example for us about dependability, consistency. He brings it every day.”
Never wears his rings. “They just sit [there],” he said of the souvenirs from his four Super Bowl victories, before repeating that his favorite ring is the “next one.”
Career has flown past. Brady never thought about winning Super Bowls, because, he said, “I never thought I’d be playing in the NFL. It just all happened. It’s my 17th year and it’s still happening. I’ve never really taken the time to have any perspective or anything, because I’ve just been caught up in the moment of playing. It’s just gone very fast.”
Learning to compartmentalize. “We all have busy lives. You guys do too. You know that when you deal with one thing, you kind of have to put everything else aside and be focused on what those things are that you’re dealing with. As a football player, a lot of different things come at you at different times. When I’m dealing with football, that’s where my focus needs to be. I think over the years, you learn about compartmentalization. It’s part of what your life has to be. You can’t bring things from the outside to your job, because everyone is counting on you.”
Kraft like a second father. Describing his relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Brady said, “He has been a second father to me in a lot of ways and given me a lot of advice about things that only someone like he could speak to and relate to.”
Biggest splurge food. Asked by Simone Biles of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team about his favorite splurge food, Brady went with the cheeseburger. “There’s the GOAT,” Brady said, looking in Biles’ direction as he spoke about the greatest of all time. “You’re amazing.”
Has a surf instructor. Who knew? Brady was asked about Australian-born football players and said, “Australians are pretty good surfers. My surf instructor is Australian.”
One word to describe himself. Asked to describe himself in one word, Brady turned to a beat reporter to solicit his opinion. “Consistent,” the reporter said, to which Brady nodded affirmatively and replied: “I’ll go with that.”
Top NBA player to make the transition to NFL. If Brady could add one NBA player to the Patriots’ roster, it would be LeBron James. “Tight end, split him out, throw it up, and he’d come down with a lot of them,” he said.
Catch-22 with experience. Brady hit on the balance of how experience can be good and bad. “There are a lot of 22-year-old golfers who have no fear. They see that big lake in front of the green and they’re trying to go for it in two, and they don’t even see the lake, they just hit it,” he said. “But after you hit a bunch in the lake, you start realizing, ‘Man, I better not hit it in that lake.’ You don’t know those things at 22. But by the time you get to be a certain age, you’re throwing those interceptions on those plays and that starts getting in the way of the risk-taking. You’re always trying to calibrate those things. [Offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels] and I talk about that a lot, and he’ll say, ‘What was that?’ And I’ll say, ‘I had a little fear on that.’ And he’ll say, ‘We gotta get rid of that. No fear. This is a no-fear throw.’ For me, so often, I don’t want to make mistakes. And if I do make a mistake in the game, I want to throw the ball in the dirt or miss a receiver in the right spot. We talk about ball possession so much, turnovers, and we have an incredible win percentage when we don’t turn the ball over. But as a quarterback, you can’t kneel on the ball three straight times and punt and think you’re going to win the game. There are inherent risks to every play, and you have to manage those the best you can while still trying to be aggressive. That’s what I’ve learned over the years: when you have to go for it, and when you don’t.”
His love for the University of Michigan. “It was a tough pick, being from California, to go all the way to the Midwest. But I made a great choice. It’s such a well-rounded school, and to go back there this fall was very special. I never had a chance to do that [at that time of year]. The team has done so great with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh. We just have to figure out how to beat those [Ohio State] Buckeyes. It’s been a thorn in my side.”
Narrowing the focus with 70 plays left. Brady touched on how the offense has 70 plays left in its season, so, he said, “You have to make sure everything there is of critical importance. You don’t often have the luxury of all this extra time, but I think we’ve used it wisely.”
How football challenges him. “You can never master it. It’s always changing. It’s very strategic. It’s all angles, matchups, one-on-ones and decision-making. When you have 11 people trying to execute one play, there are a lot of things that need to happen to execute it at a high level. The only way to be a good team is for everyone to do that. It’s a great sport. Hopefully everyone enjoys it as much as I do.”
Is comfortable with controlling emotions. Asked how he keeps things in check, Brady touched on the crucial balance: “I’ve got a good regulation on my emotions. I know when I need to get amped up, and I know when I need to relax a bit. I think you learn those things. You kind of have to be right on the edge. It’s such an emotional game, you don’t want to be out of control, but you can’t play with no emotion. You strike different chords for different emotions at different times. … It’s a game of outward emotion and inner calm. You have to teeter on both.”
Embracing his place as senior citizen in the locker room. How much harder is it to connect with some of his younger teammates? “I’m a hell of a lot older than most guys in the league now. … I think that’s part of the fun part for me. Your role always changes, and still as a leader and a veteran, I still can express things to my younger teammates and things they’re going through and try to help them through those things, because I’ve been through those things,” he said. “I have a lot of experience, where Tedy [Bruschi] helped me, Rodney [Harrison] helped me, Willie [McGinest] helped me. It may not be like we’re going out together on Friday nights, but it might mean more than that. I might be able to share things that help them out with their career, or their family, because of the experiences I’ve had. I love that. I try to embrace that. That’s a great responsibility.”
