Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe are hands-down one of the greatest duos to play for the Broncos and the best Denver players to ever do it at their position.

And even though they were both named to the NFL‘s All-Decade team of the 90s, one former Bronco may have a harder time getting into Canton’s hallowed hall than the other.

 

Shannon Sharpe should be nothing more than a shoe-in for Pro Football’s Hall of Fame—he revolutionized the NFL tight end position forever, taking a sixth offensive lineman and turning him into a threat on the offensive end.

Sharpe was dominant in a pass-catching role, receiving HOFer John Elway’s bullet passes from 1990-98, and from other less notable QBs from 1999-03. During his 14 year career, Sharpe caught an amazing 815 passes for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns—all of which were all-time highs for tight ends in NFL history when he retired.

While not speedy (my Dad used to always say he looked like he was moving in slow motion), Sharpe was as dangerous as any receiver in the NFL during the 1990s. Many times opposing defenses would line up a linebacker against the massive tight end, a matchup that was irrevocably eaten alive by Elway and Sharpe. He was amazing across the middle, was the Broncos’ best possession receiver, and could score at-will with an Elway naked bootleg on the goal line.

Sharpe also blocked for five different 1,000-yard rushers in Denver, including Terrell Davis from 1995-98, and he is one of only four players in NFL history to have 11 or more 50-catch seasons (Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Chris Carter). He also won three Super Bowls and had three 1,000 yard receiving seasons. Sharpe was so good; ESPN named him the No. 7 draft steal of all time .

But what Sharpe is remembered for the most is his big personality, which gave him his big mouth and big touchdown celebrations.

His most famous quote came in a Nov. 1996 Denver drubbing of New England as he was caught by NFL Films proclaiming, “Mr. President, call in the National Guard! Send as many men as you can spare! Because we are killing the Patriots! They need emergency help!”

Sharpe was not shy about asking for the ball either, as NFL Films interviewed him and Elway explained how Shannon would constantly come back to the huddle to say, “I’m open John, throw me the ball.”

When he couldn’t be heard over the eardrum-busting Mile High maniacs, Sharpe showed his delight nonverbally. He came up with two different TD celebrations, both of which helped make him a fan favorite. His original celebration was a mere flex of his bulging muscles as he earned the nickname “Hulk.” The second was more innovative, as he danced around and made it look like he was riding a bucking bronco in the end zone.

And while many believe he’s an absolute no-brainer for the hall, one stat may go against his quest, as there are only seven TEs in the HOF currently.

Realistically, Sharpe will have a bronze bust of his chiseled jaw and smiling face in Canton soon, but what chance does Terrell Davis have?

Davis is more the long-shot of the two, although his greatness should not be ignored. Even though TD technically played for seven years in the NFL, his first four were the masterpiece of his career.

From 1995-98 Davis’ rushing yards increased every season and he amassed 6,413 total yards in those years, including 56 touchdowns. While being only the fourth ever player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, he was the NFL MVP in 1998 and was the major reason why John Elway and the Broncos won back-to-back Super Bowls.

But as they say, sometimes the brightest stars burn out the fastest, which couldn’t be truer about Terrell Davis.

In his hey-day, no one could stop TD, let alone slow him down. He was never really a threat to go for an 80-yard dash down the sideline, but Davis hit holes quicker and harder than any back in recent memory. He exploited the idea of a “one cut and go” running system, with running backs coach Alex Gibbs, which became Mike Shanahan’s calling card in the NFL for almost a decade.

Likely the best run I ever saw TD make was in Super Bowl 32 against the Green Bay Packers. Davis hit the hole in the O-line quickly like usual, then as a safety dove at him, TD spun quickly to get away (:42). Then a few yards down the field, he juked a guy so hard he fell over and Davis walked in for the score.

And while Davis was proving he was the best running back in the game in 1997-98, he came up with a little TD celebration of his own—The Mile High Salute. The salute is the best celebration in the history of the Broncos, something respectful done with a fellow teammate after a successful drive. Davis supposedly started doing the salute in honor of his father who was in the military, and the small gesture pumped up the Broncos faithful in a huge way.

In total, Davis’ 7,607 career yards and 60 touchdowns are two of the 47 Broncos franchise records he holds and he added three pro-bowls to his resume as well. But, neither of those numbers rank him even in the top-25 among running backs and many say his career was too short.

I say, a player’s career length should not keep a player out of the HOF, especially when he was the best player at his position—arguably the best player in the NFL at the time. Terrell Davis definitely belongs in Canton along with Elway, Sharpe, and their lineman Gary Zimmerman.

The ironic thing about it all is that while both Sharpe and Davis were great on the field, they couldn’t be more different in character. Sharpe was the loud and proud, larger than life figure—the personality of the Broncos—while Davis was a reserved, quiet perfectionist that let his game do all the talking.

And now that the two are in the top-25 finalists to get into Canton in 2010, the writers must silence Sharpe and speak up for Davis and make sure both Broncos greats are in the Professional Football Hall of Fame—if not this year, then soon.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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