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  • June 17, 2008 02:44 PM ET

Terrell Davis has just as much right to the HOF as Gayle Sayers.

Biakaba is Eric Draven (22-39-0) vs rstowe (232-67-17)
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If Gayle Sayers is there, TD should be as well. I'll let you have the first argument.


The problem with TD is his peak while similar to Sayers was just for running. If TD's career was even 2 years longer he would be in a shoo-in but his peak was really 4 years.....

Sayers also returned kicks and punts - and set many records doing so, while being a great Running back.

Here are some of the records Sayers has:
most touchdowns in a rookie season (22 in 1965)
most touchdowns in a game (6, tied with 2 players)
highest career kickoff return average (30.56)
most kickoff return touchdowns (6, tied with four other players)
most return touchdowns in a game (2, tied with many players)

So while their RBs numbers are close, it was the rest of Sayer's game that got him into the HOF (right or not)...


Sayers was a special player, no doubt about it. But, if you look from a rushing standpoint, Davis's stats are stellar.

From 1995-1998 he rushed for 6,413 yards and 56 touchdowns. During this spell, he averaged 104.5 yards per game.

If you add in the lean years after his injury his career stats are 7,607 yards and 60 Touchdowns with a 97.5 yard per game average. He sustained his injury at 27. Suffice to say, if Griese doesn't throw an interception, forcing TD to play defense and get rolled by Howard Griffin, he would have easily passed 10,000 yards for his career and over 100 touchdowns.

Sayers deserves to be there, for sure, but in football lore, the 6 touchdown game against the 49ers in the mud got Gayle there as much as his stats as well as the question of what could have been which pertains to TD as well.


Yes, no doubt TD's rushing numbers are great but they were only for 4 years....like it or not, a player getting injured has to be taken into account - the Hall of Fame can't project what players' stats WOULD have been, only what they were and what impact they had on the game.

And you can't just compare TD's rushing stats to Sayers' rushing stats when discussing whether or not TD belongs in the HOF....you have to take into account the fact that Sayers was also one of the best kick returners EVER....TD just ran the ball, Sayers ran the ball and returned the ball....overall impact of Sayers, while their careers are similar in length has to be taken into account and by doing so, Sayers is a HOFer while TD falls just short.

Injuries shouldn't matter either, they both lost their careers due to knee injuries, so any conjecture regarding what might have been has to be thrown out the window.


Sayers was a new kind of running back in that era. He was an artist at juking and making uncanny moves. Halas had no choice but to put him back there to return kicks. The fact that no one had seen that type of running back before, a gazelle, had a lot to do with him getting into the Hall.

Davis was offensive player of the year in '96 and '98. He rushed for 2,008 yards with a 5.1 yard per carry average in '98 as well as league MVP. He was the MVP in Super Bowl 32 with 157 yards rushing after missing the second quarter with a migraine. He has two Super Bowl rings.

If accomplishments matter, and especially performances in championship games, I think the resume speaks for itself.


The Hall of Fame recognizes great CAREERS not a couple great seasons. If people like Tiki Barber and Fred Taylor are considered borderline HOFers (each with over 10000 yds to TDs 8000, and Tiki was a better overall back - including receiving) then there is just no way TD gets in the HOF. If TD had even 1 more great season, just 1 to make it 4 outstanding seasons and 1 good season, he probably gets in....

Rings don't mean anything for getting into the HOF otherwise Trent Dilfer should prepare his acceptance speech and Marino should be kicked out...it is what you did on the field and for the length of time you did it that really matters. Sayers was multi-faceted not just a running back. TD was great, don't get me wrong, but the HOF isn't for the simply great players it is for the best of all time and TD isn't in the discussion of best running backs ever...

Comments (45) Add A Comment

June 17, 2008  02:51 PM ET
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Just an FYI - never waste the first argument...I recently TDed against someone and won, only because I was able to make 3 arguments while they could only make 2 - they couldn't counter all my points because they did the same thing you did in your 1st argument.

June 17, 2008  02:56 PM ET
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I have to agree with stowe here... don't waste those opening arguments, it can all too easily come back to bite you in the arse... so far leaning right, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt & wait to cast a vote until this one is over...

June 17, 2008  03:00 PM ET
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TD was great. For a very limited time period. It's really too bad he got hurt. One good year, 3 great years, and 3 years marred by injury.

Sayers' greatness had a string of 5 straight seasons. So the window was a little larger.

June 17, 2008  03:09 PM ET
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Terrell Davis 4 show!

June 17, 2008  03:10 PM ET
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Why not wait and vote on the arguments there Peachy?

June 17, 2008  03:15 PM ET
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What is there to wait for? Davis should be there: best of his era.

June 17, 2008  03:16 PM ET
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What is there to wait for? Davis should be there: best of his era.
Cassidy: A Few Good Women | 06/17/08, 03:15 PM
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How about voting for the arguments, not your personal opinion....oh wait....

June 17, 2008  03:16 PM ET
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I didn't know an era was 3 or 4 years there Cass....

June 17, 2008  03:19 PM ET
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the "era" of 1996-1998.

yay!

June 17, 2008  03:19 PM ET
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I thought era was the name of an elf.

June 17, 2008  03:20 PM ET
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Terrell Davis' major impact was that people debate whether a 4 year career is long enough to get into the HOF...he is all about what COULD have been rather that what WAS....he has no NFL records. He had 4 great years but that is but a brief moment in time. Ultimately, he gained under 8,000 yards. Is there anyone else in the HOF that played the same position but gained less than 8,000 yards? Should we enshrine a QB that gets a perfect QB rating in their only game? They'd be the career QB rating leader forever but with only one game, would we really care?

June 17, 2008  03:33 PM ET
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wow, I have never seen so many people flip flop, on criteria for voting, I ain't gonna call anyone out, but going from one TD where they rip people for voting thier opinion and not the arguments, and then in the next breathe they vote in a TD not based off the arguments but based off their opinions.

Look I could care less how you decide to vote, but can people at least be consistant in the criteria, and Cassidy I never ever want to see you flame someone for not voting based off the arguments ever again.

June 17, 2008  03:34 PM ET
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Sayers set MULTIPLE Records as a rookie and regular....From Yds in a season, to RET TD"s in a season. Sayers broke the records and cemented his name in the history books.

What did Davis do? He got a 2000 yd season. He wasnt the 1st, and I doubt he is the last.

He got a SB ring?? I guess we should get a HOF bust ready for Timmy Smith too....

Davis was a great back for a short period of time....But like I said, Sayers was breaking records left and right

June 17, 2008  03:34 PM ET
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and if sayers is in then he should be in , however I am choosing the dark side based off arguments

June 17, 2008  03:35 PM ET
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I wish I could vote for Stowe 10 more times......I have a list of about 100 players that deserve to be in Canton well before Davis

June 17, 2008  03:38 PM ET
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yeah didnt we td on this topic already...at least i think i remember going back and forth with you about it

June 17, 2008  03:41 PM ET
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Probably....I have a few things that I wont waiver on. This, Earl Campbell and a few others..

June 17, 2008  03:46 PM ET
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LOL.. Dude I don't care about the stats. Earl was a badass and is underrated.

June 17, 2008  03:54 PM ET
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Earl was overated.....Stats....no stats.

THere is a guy on Buffalobills.com who says...."People use stats like a light pole, some as a prop or a crutch, others for illumination"

I dont think stats are the end all be all of a NFL RB, but they are WAY up at the top of the list

 
June 17, 2008  03:57 PM ET
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lol at the quote...earl was not overrated..cmon now.

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