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**StarDust Bum** · 08-02-2017, 06:12 PM

HOF Series: Davis' NFL career was short but oh so sweet
August 2, 2017

DENVER (AP) In between the magnificence and the migraines, Terrell Davis' NFL voyage was bookended by two bone-crushing hits that came to define a career remembered as much for its brevity as its brilliance.

The first hit harkened his arrival, the second one his departure.

Davis was just another lost-in-the-shuffle rookie back in 1995 filled with doubts when the Denver Broncos traveled to Tokyo for an exhibition game against the San Francisco 49ers.

''Let's just say if I spoke better Japanese I wouldn't be here,'' said Davis, who contemplated quitting football right then and there. ''I'm telling you, I was this close to walking out of there because I looked at everything around me and I just had no shot of making the team. I was a sixth-round draft pick, I was seventh on the depth chart, I wasn't getting any reps in practice, I had my coach constantly on me. And it just didn't feel like there was any way of me making the team.''

He told himself he could put his degree in consumer economics from the University of Georgia to use instead as he pondered hailing a cab and catching his own flight home.

''Thank God I didn't,'' Davis said. ''And then I made the big hit.''

Summoned to cover a kickoff the next night, the rookie on nobody's radar burst downfield and delivered a savage hit on returner Tyrone Drakeford that left fellow Hall-of-Famer-to-be Shannon Sharpe marveling, ''Who was that?!''

That was the savior who would end the frustrations of a long-suffering franchise, city and larger-than-life quarterback who could never win the big game before Davis came along.

Davis is the only running back with back-to-back Super Bowl titles, an MVP trophy, a Super Bowl MVP honor, a 2,000-yard season and seven consecutive playoff wins in which he topped 100 yards rushing.

He accomplished all this despite playing just four full seasons and enduring migraine headaches like the one he suffered against Green Bay in Super Bowl 32 , when he scored three touchdowns after regaining his vision at halftime.

Davis shudders to think how close he came to frittering it all away.

''For anybody out there struggling, I try to tell them even if your situation seems dire, don't give up,'' said Davis. ''Just keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting. You never know.''

Sticking it out gave Davis football immortality. He'll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next week.

''I'm thrilled for him,'' said John Elway, who called Davis ''the main reason why'' the Broncos won consecutive titles in the late 1990s that ended Denver's string of Super Bowl embarrassments.

Yet, Davis, the only running back other than Jim Brown to average more than 100 yards a game over his career, was long considered too much of a short-timer to be enshrined in Canton. He played only seven seasons and was never the same after blowing out his right knee on Oct. 3, 1999.

Davis was chasing down Jets safety Victor Green after an interception when teammate Matt Lepsis made a lunging tackle that also wiped out a trailing Davis.

''It was a wild play,'' Davis said. ''Wrong place, wrong time.''

Davis, who had averaged an astonishing 1,603 yards and 14 touchdowns over his first four years, missed the rest of that season and would play in just 13 more games and score two touchdowns over the final two years of his career.

Consider this, however, about the play that essentially ended his career: He easily could have saved his health and his chances of putting up more big seasons by pulling up and not chasing down Green.

But is that the hallmark of a Hall of Famer?

His career wasn't long, but as Elway said, ''other than the years he was hurt, he was great.''

Picking up first downs and safety blitzes. Taking pressure off the passer. And yes, chasing down defenders after an interception.

The Hall of Fame selection committee recognized those traits and rewarded him in spite of his truncated time in the league.

''I'm thrilled that they overcame the one thing that was keeping him out, and that was the length of his career,'' Elway said. ''Because, while he was playing, there was nobody better.''

Still, Davis thought his wait would last a little longer because LaDainian Tomlinson was up for election for the first time this year.

''And I said, `T.D., don't say that, because you deserve it,'' recounted Tomlinson, who shared ''the biggest hug'' with Davis after both were elected.

''It was good to see him get in because if he had played just two or three more years, he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer,'' Tomlinson said. ''Because he got hurt, he had to wait a little bit. But all of us players knew he was going to eventually get in. How dominant he was when he played the game, he just couldn't be denied.''

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2017, 01:56 PM

Thursday's Best Bet
August 3, 2017

Thursday NFL Best Bet
Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals

Tonight marks the unofficial start of NFL Football being back in the sports betting landscape as the 2017 NFL Hall of Fame game “hopefully” kicks off this evening. I say “hopefully” because last year's Hall of Fame game was cancelled due to poor field conditions thanks to congealing paint, but I'm sure 365 days later, the NFL has it sorted out this time.

This year's game will be only the 2nd time since 1997 that the Hall of Fame game doesn't feature an AFC team vs a NFC team, and oddly enough the other time it occurred was back in 2012 when the Arizona Cardinals were also involved (lost 17-10 to New Orleans). In the grand scheme of things that's really nothing more than an interesting anecdote, as their isn't a whole lot to take away from the teams playing in the first preseason game of the year.

You are going to see the starters for one or two series' at most (we aren't going to really see any starters from Arizona tonight) and the rest of the time it's guys at the bottom of the depth chart trying to impress the coaching staff enough to potentially earn a roster spot by the end of the month.

So on one hand, while countless NFL fans are through the moon excited that NFL football is finally back tonight, if you go into the Hall of Fame game expecting quality football you'll be greatly disappointed. Probably about 60% of the guys you see on the field won't even make the field come September, and as bettors it's important to not go crazy with unit sizes on these early preseason games.

BetDSI.eu Odds: Dallas (-1); Total set at 35

While handicapping the individual teams involved in the Hall of Fame game may be tough given there is no consistency in knowing who to expect on the field for each side, there are trends for the Hall of Fame game that can be a good starting point.

Before we get there though, Arizona has already stated that third string QB Blaine Gabbert will get the first half and rookie fourth string QB Trevor Knight will get the second half. Even with the minimal talent those guys may have at this level, knowing they are getting a full half of playing time has to give them some level of comfort, and Gabbert has been a starter for significant periods of time in this league before. With Dallas trotting out their four QB's from 1-4 on the depth chart for some time tonight, and the Cowboys never really caring about the preseason under HC Jason Garrett, I believe the edge right there has to go to the Cardinals.

Regarding trends specific to the Hall of Fame game, we typically see low scoring games and the 'under' has gone 4-1 the last five years it was played. However, just like this year's game features that odd anecdote of Arizona being involved in another NFC vs. NFC game here, that lone 'over' the past five years was the last time the Dallas Cowboys showed up to Canton, Ohio to play in this contest. Tonight's total has already seen significant support on the 'under' which is never a surprise in this game, but I'm actually looking to go the other way and here's why:

Preseason games are when journeymen QB's get to see their most action all year and they are out to prove they deserve a roster spot as a backup somewhere. I've already touched on Gabbert being involved tonight and you know he'd love to stick around on a 53-man roster, but Dallas has their own backup QB “battle” with Kellen Moore being tested by Luke McCown. Both of those guys (along with Gabbert for that matter) would love to put up some solid numbers tonight against shell-like defenses to help improve their standing within the organization.

Furthermore, after last year's game got cancelled, I think everyone involved in this year's game would prefer to give the fans a little action to cheer about and a few more points on the scoreboard then they usually see here. The entire situation was bungled from the NFL's perspective and in order to bring some of those slighted fans back this year, putting out a more entertaining game has to be the goal.

Maybe that's why they went with two teams from the same conference again (more familiarity), and you know bookmakers wouldn't mind seeing the scoreboard get lit up – relatively speaking – because they know there are plenty of NFL bettors out there that view the 'under' on the Hall of Fame game as basically free money.

I've got to believe that with this year's game setting up the way it is (year after cancelled game, QB's having more defined plan of playing time, NFC vs NFC) we see quite a few different things then what many have gotten used to in the Hall of Fame game.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-03-2017, 01:59 PM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DAL at ARI 08:00 PM

ARI +2.0

U 34.5

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The Bum's HOF Notes - Cowboys vs. Cardinals

The Bum's HOF Notes - Cowboys vs. Cardinals

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