Age: 24 (Oct.
28)
2nd
season in pro football & with Broncos
College: Georgia
Height: 5’11” Weight: 200
Prelude:
Unheralded
coming out of college, Davis was taken by the Broncos in the 6th
round of the 1995 NFL draft and emerged to rush for 1117 yards and catch 49
passes.
1996 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 345 [3]
Most
attempts, game - 32 (for 154 yds.) at New England 11/17
Yards – 1538 [2, 1st in AFC]
Most yards,
game – 194 yards (on 28 carries) vs. Baltimore 10/20
Average gain
– 4.5 [7]
TDs – 13 [3,
tied with Ricky Watters]
100-yard
rushing games – 7
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 36
Most
receptions, game – 6 (for 42 yds.) vs. San Diego 10/6, (for 37 yds.) at
Minnesota 11/24
Yards – 310
Most yards,
game - 56 (on 4 catches) at New England 11/17
Average gain
– 8.6
TDs – 2
Total Yards –
1848 [6]
Scoring
TDs – 15 [3,
tied with Emmitt Smith]
Points – 90
Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff vs.
Jacksonville)
Rushing attempts
– 14
Rushing yards
– 91
Average gain
rushing – 6.5
Rushing TDs –
1
Pass
receptions – 7
Pass
receiving yards - 24
Average yards
per reception – 3.4
Pass
Receiving TDs - 0
Awards & Honors:
NFL Offensive
Player of the Year: AP
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st
team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Broncos went 13-3
to finish first in the AFC West with the conference’s best record while leading
the NFL in total offense (5791 yards) and rushing yards (2362). Lost AFC
Divisional playoff to Jacksonville Jaguars (30-27).
Aftermath:
Davis rushed
for 1538 yards and led the NFL with 15 rushing TDs in 1997 and was MVP of the
Super Bowl win over Green Bay. His crowning achievement came in a 1998 MVP
season in which Davis rushed for 2008 yards and 21 touchdowns as the Broncos
repeated as champions. But after rushing for 6413 yards in four years, and
receiving consensus first-team All-NFL recognition from 1996 to ‘98, Davis
gained just 211 yards on the ground in 1999 as he sustained a major knee injury
in the fourth game. Returning in 2000, he struggled, appearing in only five
contests and rushing for 282 yards. Davis ran for 701 yards in one last
injury-riddled season in 2001. For his career, he gained 7607 yards on 1655
carries (4.6 avg.), added another 1280 on 169 pass receptions, and scored 65
touchdowns.
--
MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or
Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or
USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football
Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press
International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league
itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of
the Year.
[Updated 2/4/14]
[Updated 11/29/14]
[Updated 2/4/14]
[Updated 11/29/14]
