Terrell Davis on Aaron Rodgers, 1998 Broncos vs. 2023 Bucs, Najee Harris’ rookie projection and more

Terrell Davis turned his earlier ache right into a monumental acquire. Davis, a Corridor of Fame operating again who received two Tremendous Bowls with the Broncos, was looking for a substitute for ache treatment when he skilled post-workout ache throughout his post-playing profession. In 2017, Davis determined to strive CBD, an expertise Davis has known as life-changing. 

“Nearly instantly, I began to really feel higher,” Davis lately advised CBS Sports activities. “I get pleasure from figuring out, however I don’t get pleasure from figuring out in ache. After I was making an attempt CBD, I began to note that if I used to be figuring out on a Monday and I’d await my knee to swell up or have some reverse response to it, and it wouldn’t occur. I may work out on Tuesday. It allowed me to push my physique more durable and recuperate quicker.”

Davis’ expertise launched an concept for a corporation that in 2019 grew to become a actuality. Davis is likely one of the co-founders of DEFY, the world’s first mainstream CBD constructed particularly for athletes and those that wish to grow to be higher within the health club. Designed to assist rapid-muscle fiber restoration and clear-headed, hyper-focused coaching, DEFY provides naturally derived efficiency, restoration and rejuvenation for athletes of all ranges. 

“What if we will create a model that’s respected, that’s backed by science, that may be in your native grocery shops, your GNCs, and in NFL lockers that actually simply goes by way of the assessments and appears like a high-level model. And that’s the place the concept got here from,” Davis mentioned. “DEFY is about defying the percentages and breaking the mildew. I wasn’t a sixth-round choose that grew to become a Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer with out having to defy an entire lot of stuff.” 

Davis actually defied the percentages in what was in lots of respects a storybook profession. After being largely underutilized at Georgia, Davis rushed for greater than 1,100 yards throughout his rookie season in Denver. He then loved one of many biggest three-year runs by any participant at any place. From 1996-98, Davis earned three All-Professional choices, received two Tremendous Bowls, was named Tremendous Bowl and league MVP, and have become the fourth participant to hurry for greater than 2,000 yards in a season. The ’97 Broncos additionally overcame the percentages to grow to be the primary AFC group in 13 years to win the Tremendous Bowl, defeating Brett Favre and the defending-champion Packers in Tremendous Bowl XXXII. Davis powered the Broncos’ upset win with 157 speeding yards and three touchdowns regardless of lacking a lot of the second quarter with a migraine. 

“The NFC’s [mentality] was, ‘Simply present up and also you’ll win the Tremendous Bowl.’ And we felt all that,” Davis mentioned. “Each single doubter was on the market saying, ‘Usual Broncos.’ And we knew we had been a completely totally different group. We had been constructed totally different. We had been extra of an NFC type group with how we ran the ball. We had been bodily, and our protection was actually good.” 

Davis’ Broncos shortly went from underdogs to high canine. The ’98 Broncos efficiently defended their title with little resistance. After a 13-0 begin, Denver completed the common season with a 14-2 document. Within the AFC playoffs, the Broncos defeated the Dolphins and Jets by a mixed rating of 61-13. With the Falcons keying on stopping Davis in Tremendous Bowl XXXIII, John Elway handed for 336 yards whereas scoring two touchdowns in a 34-19 win in what was his the ultimate sport of his Corridor of Fame profession. 

“We’re one of many biggest groups to ever play,” Davis mentioned. “After they do the rankings of the highest 25 groups of all time, we’re at all times in there. I believe final time I noticed we had been within the teenagers or one thing like that. We’re a group that would go play in any period [because] we weren’t a gimmick group. Generally you see a group that runs the Wildcat the place they is likely to be profitable as a result of they had been new and nobody noticed that. Now you’ve obtained the RPOs the place once they first began doing it, defenses couldn’t cease it. … We didn’t have something gimmicky like that. 

“We had actually, actually good gamers. We had excellent teaching. We had a stable system. We had a mixture of actually unselfish guys who performed for one another who didn’t actually care who obtained the credit score, and that’s uncommon. And we had a singular focus. We had been the Patriots earlier than the Patriots. They speak concerning the Patriot Method, properly we had the Bronco Method. We had gamers who didn’t purchase into that, and Mike [Shanahan] moved them out of there.” 

Shanahan’s Broncos was largely a set of ignored but motivated gamers. Together with Davis, the Broncos’ key offensive gamers in these years included undrafted receiver Rod Smith, journeyman receiver Ed McCaffrey, tight finish Shannon Sharpe (a former seventh-round choose), fullback Howard Griffith (ninth-round choose), linemen Mark Schlereth (Tenth-round choose), Tom Nalen (seventh-round choose) and Tony Jones (undrafted). Defensively, the Broncos had a Corridor of Fame security in Steve Atwater, a nasty linebacker in Invoice Romanowski, and an elite cross rusher in Neil Smith who came to visit from the rival Chiefs to be able to win a Tremendous Bowl. 

“We didn’t have loads of massive names,” Davis mentioned. “We had John, however John was on the finish. And he didn’t care about throwing for five,000 yards. He simply wished to win. You had that unselfishness and training. … So yeah, if we performed in in the present day’s sport, completely, we might have overwhelmed the Bucs final yr.” 

Davis sees parallels between his Broncos groups and the present scenario in Pittsburgh. Like Elway, present Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is getting into the twilight of his profession. And whereas the Steelers will nonetheless ask him to step up and make performs occasionally, Davis believes that rookie operating again Najee Harris will likely be key to any success Pittsburgh has in 2023. 

“When you get 1,000 [rushing] yards as a rookie, that’s actually good,” Davis mentioned. “I’d additionally count on him to catch the ball fairly a bit, too. The final actually good operating again they’d was Lev Bell, and that’s what he did, he was an enormous a part of their passing sport. And the sport is basically shifting that manner. 

“I do like him. He’s an enormous dude, however he’s fairly free for 6-foot-2, 230. You see the best way he hurdles over folks. He’s an athlete. I count on him to have 1,000. … There have been moments the place John needed to win video games for us, and it’s going to be the identical with Ben.”

Davis feels good so far as his former group is anxious. That optimism has been buoyed with the stories linking Aaron Rodgers to Denver if he and the Packers break up up earlier than the beginning of the season. 

“My take is I hope we get him,” Davis mentioned. “It nonetheless looks as if there’s a risk that he won’t be in Inexperienced Bay and that Denver is the seemingly place for him to finish up. And if that occurs, that places us proper the place we should be. You’ve obtained Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in that division. And our protection goes to be actually good. “

Even when Rodgers doesn’t come to Denver, Davis feels that the Broncos will be an 11-win group in 2023. He has excessive hopes for rookie operating again Javonte Williams, who will look to enrich former Professional Bowler Melvin Gordon. Davis can also be not prepared to surrender on quarterback Drew Lock, whose offseason preparation has included one-on-one movie classes with Peyton Manning. 

“I’m nonetheless actually considering what Drew Lock can do,” Davis mentioned. “I don’t assume we’ve seen all the pieces he can do.”