Wednesday, June 7, 2000

The progress of Terrell Davis

Davis, the NFL's MVP in 1998 after rushing for 2,008 yards, went down in the fourth game of the 1999 season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Following rigorous rehab, he's back.

On the opening day of the Broncos' four-day minicamp on Tuesday, Davis pronounced himself ahead of schedule.

"I felt really good today," he said. "At times, my knee didn't even feel like it was injured. Compared to the last minicamp (six weeks ago), I'm definitely ahead of schedule.

"Obviously, I don't think I'm where I need to be, but I'm a lot better than I used to be. So I'm looking at it as every little step that I take forward, that's an accomplishment. I'm excited about it, and I'm really anxious to get into some pads to see how that's going to feel."

Tuesday's workout was in helmets and shorts, and Davis was eager for some physical contact.

Asked if regaining his quickness was his biggest problem, Davis said, "No, I don't think so. I'm not sure about my power, when if I hit somebody if I can drive through them. That's the only question mark that I have right now. That story won't be told until I can actually get some pads on and have physical contact. In the meantime, I'm going to hit some sleds."

ProFootballWeekly.com asked editor-in-chief Ron Pollack to weigh in on the subject.

Q: What are your thoughts on Davis' return?

Pollack: I don't think anywhere near enough attention has been paid to it. Oh, sure, it has gotten attention, but everybody is so caught up in the whole Steve Young three-ring circus (will he or won't he end up playing for Denver) that I think they have failed to realize just how big a story Davis' return is. Let's face it, even if Young does end up being the Broncos' starting quarterback, he will have nowhere near the impact that Davis will have on Denver's season. Young is an all-time great quarterback, but his concussion problems make this a gigantic question mark in terms of how long he'll last. Plus, he wasn't exactly setting the world on fire before he got hurt last year. His passer rating was only 60.9 last season. For these reasons, Davis' upside is considerably higher. If he returns to his old form, he will be the best running back in football. That is probably unlikely for at least a year given the nature of his injury, but even a very good Davis will make a huge difference for the Broncos. Don't get me wrong, if the Broncos sign Young their prospects for the season improve dramatically. He is a prime-time performer when healthy and on top of his game. That said, I think Davis will perform at a higher level in 2000 than Young. Both are great players. Both are huge stories. I just think that Davis is the bigger story right now.

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