Terrell Davis: From Gridiron Hero to Personal Inspiration

Terrell Davis is known by many to be one of the greatest running backs in Denver Broncos history, the two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP once ruled the gridiron with his powerful running on the field and great personality off. His charming ways have made him a popular figure even now—long after his retirement.

However, many probably don't realize how much of an inspiration Davis has been to one young lady who nearly ended her life prematurely—if not for Davis' presence on her television screen in 1998.

The story, published by The Japan Times (h/t/ Bronco Talk), is about a young woman named Noriko Kokura. Kokura, who is now a 28-year old running back for the Sacramento Sirens of the Independent Womens Football League (IWFL), tells the story of how Davis changed her life forever during Super Bowl XXXII—the night the Broncos captured their first NFL Championship under John Elway.

Below is an excerpt from the story:

After the game, Noriko Kokura was going to end her life. 

But she stopped, because she found a ray of hope through the game of football.

Or more precisely, through a player.

While harboring that feeling (of taking her own life), she watched Super Bowl XXXII between the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers, sitting in front of a TV set along with her father, like they had done every year since she was in elementary school.

Kokura, then in her final year of junior high school, had an eye-opening experience.  She was intrigued by the Broncos’ ace running back, Terrell Davis. Her heart was moved to see Davis building such tight bonds with his teammates on the field.

“His game sent a ray of light into my heart,” Kokura said in an e-mail interview. “I’d seen so many games before, but I’d never seen a player believing in his teammates that much. And his teammates believed in him too.” 

From that moment on, she abandoned the idea of killing herself. (Kaz Nagatsuka, The Japan Times, 3/28/11)

Kokura, eventually, was able to overcome all of her disorders through the game of football and found success both on and off the field using her love of the game as a guide—a love inspired and awakened with the help of one very special player.

John Fox: What Moves Could The New Denver Coach Make Next?

The Denver Broncos have named John Fox as their next head coach.

Fox, who led the Carolina Panthers to one Super Bowl, and three playoff appearances, in nine seasons, has been rumored as the Bronco's choice for a while, but John Elway made the hire official today with this tweet,

Said Elway, "He is a dynamic and proven leader who will energize our entire organization".

Fox returns to coaching in the AFC for the first time in 16-years. His last stint was as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Raiders—now in Oakland.

He is expected to be an upgrade in both experience and leadership over the fired Josh McDaniels—whose personality and personnel decisions often left much to be desired—but is still a curious pick given his perceived lack of passion his last two seasons in Charlotte.

Will the support system in Denver be enough to get his competitive juices flowing again?

Whatever his mindset coming in, his next major task is filling out the offensive and defensive staff. No names have been seriously mentioned yet, but speculation has already begun on what type of offensive scheme Fox will bring (west coast) and whether or not Tim Tebow will be the guy executing it.

It's no secret that as nimble afoot as Tebow is, he still has a ways to go to become the type of quarterback who can confidently take snaps from under-center. That said, if he can continue to develop and make the proper tweaks to his game, he could become a decent candidate to run a west coast type offense—which centers around short passes, a strong rushing element, and the occasional big downfield play.

As for the defense, some are hoping that Fox can call upon his friend and former college teammate, Herman Edwards. Edwards is currently an analyst for ESPN, but has a reputation in the league as a good defensive coordinator.

One thing that is almost certain is the Bronco's 2011 draft pick will go towards upgrading their defense.

Assuming Nick Fairley declares himself draft eligible—which he almost certainly will—he could be the guy. If not him, Patrick Peterson (DB) of the LSU Tigers could be a possibility.

The Broncos stand to lose some talent at the secondary position in the near future as Champ Bailey enters the latter part of his career, and Perrish Cox's situation remains up in the air in light of his sexual assault charge.

Peterson could fit the bill as both a defender and special teams player as he is a very skilled return man as well.

Fox will have his hands full over the next few months as he evaluates exactly what he has in Denver, and what direction the team will go from this point forward.

NFL Swap: After Elway's Statements, What's Next For Tim Tebow In Denver?

John Elway is the new Vice President of Football Operations for the Denver Broncos. Translation: he has a say in what happens on the team—personnel wise—but he doesn't write the checks that make them happen.

So, when John Elway talks, the Denver players better be listening, and it looks like Tim Tebow's ears just started burning where his future as Denver's starting quarterback is concerned.

Elway, speaking to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, made it clear that Tebow is not the guy Denver needs at quarterback right now. Said Elway, "I don’t think Tim Tebow is a good quarterback at this level at this time..."

Could that statement mean Tebow is destined to move to another position in the very near future?

If so, would Tebow be willing to make a switch—to possibly fullback or tight end—now that he's had a taste of success at quarterback?

Does the very idea of Tebow playing elsewhere—be it position or team—mean there's still a chance for Orton in Denver?

Elway still holds a high-opinion of Tebow as a player, it's just not certain that he's willing to wait the 2-3 more seasons Tebow would need to become the player that leads Denver back to glory.

One thing is for sure, if Tebow stays in Denver, he won't have much room for error in 2011.

As for Elway, he's definitely placing his football smarts on the line early where personnel evaluation is concerned.

Tebow was drafted to be the future in Denver, and to hear Elway dismiss him as only average is a sure sign that the former legend isn't about to kowtow to the, possibly, future one.

Related articles

• Elway clarifies his comments on Tebow (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

NFL Trade Bait: Where Might Kyle Orton Land in 2011?

The Denver Broncos are ready to start the Tim Tebow era in Colorado, and that means they no longer have any use for Kyle Orton. Their price for the team that wants him, a second-round draft pick and that price seems steep when you consider the fact that Orton doesn't do any one thing great.

While he's an adept passer, he lacks any type of mobility in the pocket—so he's often at risk of being sacked...a lot.

He's got great instincts in the redzone, but he can be hit or miss outside the 20's.

His ability to find the open target, and hit him in stride is pretty good, but he's every bit as likely to play it safe and rely on making the short throws all game long. Which, after a while will be sniffed out by opposing defenses—allowing them to cheat up and break-up many a pass play.

Even with all that, though, his 2010 stats were still better than you might have guessed.

He ranked in the upper half of the league in nearly every conceivable passers category—including total yards (3,653), interceptions thrown (4), yards gained per attempt, quarterback rating (87.5), and completions. His problem this year was a lack of protection by the offensive line.

Orton routinely found himself running for his life—which isn't his strong suit—and that meant a lot of yards lost due to bad sacks, and an inability to get out of his own way.

If a team can give Orton a decent line and a more consistent running game, he can be a serviceable quarterback and there are plenty of teams out there that could use him as a good insurance policy against injury or as a possible stop-gap until a more favorable alternative can be acquired.

Tennessee, Arizona, Carolina, Washington, and Miami all come to mind as possibilities as each of them have issues at the quarterback position— all could do much worse than Orton.

Denver isn't likely to get their second-round asking price but, if they're willing to bend—perhaps a third-rounder will suffice—they should have no problem finding a new home for Orton.

With Josh McDaniels Out, Who Might Be The Next Head Coach In Denver?

For many, the timing of Josh McDaniels firing was curious. After all, it was just a week ago that he was getting a 'vote of confidence' from Broncos owner, Pat Bowlen—well,  he seemed secure through the end of the season at least.

So when the Broncos did an about-face and fired Josh McDaniels today, it came as a surprise to a great many. But, given the trail of idiocy and incompetence that McDaniels has left in his wake, you'd wonder not why they fired him at this point, but why they didn't fire him a lot sooner.

The ink on McDaniels contract had barely dried before he was alienating both his starting quarterback (Jay Cutler) and his star wide receiver (Brandon Marshall).  It was clear he arrived with a plan in hand and that plan didn't include his leading receiver or his Pro Bowl quarterback.

By the time the smoke cleared, neither Marshall, nor Cutler would be a part of the team and Kyle Orton was hailed as the future of Bronco's football—at least until McDaniels could find someone better to take over the job.

The moves seemed comical at the time and it was tough not to laugh and wonder if Pat Bowlen (the Broncos' owner) didn't need to be relieved of his duties as well because, obviously, he had signed off on a guy who wasn't ready to run a mile, much less a team.

While the team got off to a hot start in 2009, posting a 6-0 record, the wheels began to come off shortly after and things have continued to go badly ever since.

The NFL draft saw McDaniels gambling the future of the franchise on Tim Tebow. A player whom many felt was a project, at best and who, to this point, hasn't made a real impact.

Then there was the video-taping incident. After that matter, it seemed the writing was on the wall for McDaniels and his future prospects in Denver—he had none.

So, with McDaniels out, what direction do the Broncos go in now?

Eric Studesville will take over the job in the interim, but you have to figure that Bowlen will be looking to fill out the job with an experienced winner this time. Both Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher's name are already being mentioned, but neither seem to be in a hurry to leave their cushy booth jobs. Which means that Bowlen will likely have to filter his way through the NFL's qualified ranks of assistant coaches.

Ron Rivera, the Chargers current and Chicago's former, defensive coordinator is a possibility. He's a smart guy with intimate knowledge of both the 3-4 and the 4-3 defensive scheme so his acumen would come in handy when considering the best personnel for running a defense. Even more, he's been around some great minds—both in Chicago and Philadelphia (he coached under the great Buddy Ryan)—and should be considered as a possibility. 

Perry Fewell is another name that could gain some play. He's the Giants current defensive coordinator and is well-respected amongst players and coaches in the league for his ability to build solid defenses.

Sean McDermott is another long-shot. He's currently serving as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and, while he's done a fine job, he may lack the overall experience that Denver needs at this point—despite having coached under both Brad Childress and Steve Spagnuolo. He may need another season or two before he is proven.

Either way, the Bronco's are back to square one. 

Related articles

• Josh McDaniels fired as head coach of Denver Broncos (sports.espn.go.com)
• Broncos fire Josh McDaniels (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

Laurence Maroney Traded To The Denver Broncos—Should Knowshon Moreno Be Worried?

The New England Patriots finally gave up on Laurence Maroney. The 25-year old back who, once was thought to be full of untapped potential, was traded to the Denver Broncos—reuniting with former Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

Maroney was drafted in the first-round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of the University of Minnesota. Although he was never a full-time starter for the Gophers, he still managed to collect three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons—sharing time with Marion Barber.

When New England selected him No. 21st overall, it was clear that he was going to be there back of the future. Corey Dillon was getting older and they needed a guy who had both the size and the skill-set to make the transition into their offense. Maroney fit the bill as he was not only an explosive runner with above-average field vision, but a strong back who was capable of moving the pile and churning out the hard yards.

That said, he also came into the league with a red flag attached because he was routinely beset by injuries in college—despite receiving minimal carries. The Pats felt the reward outweighed the risk, however, and rolled the dice.

Today, that risk became expendable as the Patriots seem more than willing to ride the veteran legs of Fred Taylor this season—using Green-Ellis and Faulk to spell him when needed.

So, what's next for Maroney? The Denver Broncos already have a feature back in second year man,
Knowshon Moreno. Does this mean that his job is suddenly in jeopardy? After all, Moreno did struggle towards the end of last season—both with ball protection and injuries—and he's yet to be pushed by any other backs on the roster.

Could the the acquisition of Maroney light a fire under the talented young running back?

Some might say that Maroney isn't good enough to be anything more than a reliable second option to Moreno—his injury history makes him a question mark at best. However, Maroney is nothing if not a team player and, he has the veteran attitude that McDaniels wants to foster in his young locker room.

For Maroney, his departure from New England was met with surprise and a bit of sadness because he was truly hoping to get back to his 2007 form again soon. Now he will have to prove himself worthy someplace else.

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• Laurence Maroney was traded from the New England Patriots to the Denver Broncos (sports.espn.go.com)

NFL Outlook 2010: 10 Bold, Slightly Insane, Predictions For The Coming Season

I'm into making the most of what I say. Sometimes, the words that roll out onto the screen can be interpreted as complete idiocy—but mostly it's just a rant gone wrong.

So, in the spirit of being completely off-the-cuff and minus a censor, it seemed fitting to start spouting off some bold predictions for the 2010 football season.

Why not?

At this point, no one can say for certain that any of these predictions will be proved wrong and, honestly, if I get called to the carpet, I can just plead insanity...right?


1. San Francisco will win the NFC West.

There, I said it. I'm not taking it back and, seriously, looking at the NFC West this season, I don't see a reason to.
Forget the chatter about not having a quarterback and all that, have you seen the Niners defense? If not, it's that unit on the field that was near the top of the league in points allowed per game last season (17.8). They have a ton of talent and a whole lot of attitude when they step on the field—with a player like Patrick Willis to call your own, why not?

That said, the Niners were also first in penalties received. They need to play a lot smarter on Sunday's if they expect to parlay that 8-8 season into the 11-5 one I easily see them achieving in 2010.

2. Speaking of the NFC West, look for the Cardinals to fall flat without Kurt Warner. 

Here's the thing, with both Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin on the field in 2009, the Cardinals went 10-6—better than the year before when they rode a 9-7 record to the Super Bowl. However, that was in a weak division where their best competition was offered by San Francisco (a team that beat them twice).

This year they not only don't have Kurt Warner to lend both his veteran preference and his big arm to the equation, but they lost Anquan Boldin too—a key compliment to Larry Fitzgerald. Some might say that there is plenty of talent left in both Steve Breaston and Early Doucet, but, did I mention they no longer have Kurt Warner?

I'm not buying that the defense in 'Zona will be the difference and I am not a believer in Tim Hightower or Beanie Wells' ability to carry the offense on the ground. The Cardinals are about to do some slipping—7-9 will be the end result (if they're lucky).

3. The Green Bay Packers will win the NFC North.

Brett Favre may or may not change his mind and decide to take up residence in Minnesota—it won't matter if he does. Whether it be Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, or Fran Tarkenton, the Vikings aren't going to win the north this season.

Green Bay got accustomed to the 3-4 rather quickly in 2009, and ended up fielding one of the best defensive units in the league. Aaron Rodgers showed that he is more than capable of filling the tremendously big shoes that Brett Favre left behind—despite the woodshed beat down that Favre put him through in both their meetings.

The one question mark was/is the offensive line. They had a tendency to let too many guys get through and that resulted in Rodgers seeing the turf a bit more than he should have—Bryan Bulaga will hopefully offer a cure for that problem.

If he can, the Pack should be one of the most well-rounded teams in the north and they should be the early favorite to win their division.

4. Terrell Owens won't make a difference in Cincinnati.

My feelings about Terrell Owens aside, the move to bring him into the Bengals organization won't make much difference as far as the production of Carson Palmer is concerned. Owens, along with Ochocinco, will make a lovely sideshow but the offensive line troubles me—they seemed to be off during the HOF Game on Sunday and, considering Carson Palmer's injury history, that's not a good thing.

The defense had some bright spots but, for the most part, there is still work to be done and that means the Bengals will likely lose more than they'd like and the T.O./Ochocinco Show will largely be a publicity stunt with little gas left by mid-season.

9-7 is believable, 10-6 is probable, but this team isn't going to the Super Bowl—not this season.

5. Chris Johnson will return to earth in 2010 and be happy to settle for a reasonable contract by season's end. 

Johnson is feeling himself right now. He thinks he's the most explosive offensive player in the league and he figures he's due a pretty big payday in the near-future. The Titans, obviously, don't share that same opinion and declined to offer him the big money deal he was looking for—much to his chagrin.

So, now he will play on a one-year contract and hope to blow the doors off the league yet again. Once he does, he will likely be looking to put himself on the market so he can get what's coming to him.

In my opinion, Johnson won't come close to the 2,000 yard mark. He'll top out at 1,300 yards and he'll get the contract that befits a guy of that caliber. 2009 was impressive but this is a new year and Johnson's day in the sun is about to see some cloud cover.

6. The Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the playoffs.

I like the Steelers. No, check that, I LOVE the Steelers, but I think all of the issues surrounding their slightly immature quarterback will be their undoing this season. Neither Byron Leftwich nor Dennis Dixon are going to be the answer for an absentee Ben this year (who will serve a four-to-six game suspension), and Charlie Batch is long overdue for his pension check.

The defense is still formidable, but it's older and the loss of Troy Polamalu for the better part of last season showed some chinks in the armor of that once stellar secondary unit. If the offense sputters and the defense is forced to carry the team, things could get tight for Mike Tomlin's crew pretty quick.

It's still the Steelers, though, and you almost expect them to find a way to come out on top but I see a 2-4 start at best and an uphill battle the rest of the way.


7. The Denver Broncos will lose more games than last season.

Everyone is so in love with the Broncos right now. They have Tim Tebow! They have talent at wide receiver! They have good running backs!...uhhhh, how about these points: THEY HAVE NO O-LINE!! THEY LOST BRANDON MARSHALL!!! THEY LOST EIGHT OF THEIR LAST TEN GAMES IN 2009!!...how about that?

*scratches head*

Listen to me, the Broncos might be the second-coming of the New England Patriots in about two years, but do not get caught up in the hype that's coming from the big name sitting on their roster. Tebow will play but he isn't ready to lead a team to victory. Kyle Orton is still average and now he won't have Marshall to throw it to anymore. Moreno and Buckhalter are both good but they are nothing without a strong offensive line—which the Broncos do not have.

Don't believe the hype, you'll be disappointed.

8. Neither the Colts nor the Saints will be making a return trip to the Super Bowl.

I like the Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers to go deep into the playoffs. Baltimore is, by far, one of the most balanced teams in the AFC—they have very few holes to speak of at this point. Green Bay is solid as well, if they can keep Rodgers upright, I like their chances to get back to the big game this season. If not them, then you have to figure this is the year that Tony Romo will finally lead his team to the promised land.

Either way, the love train for both the Saints and the Colts ends in 2010—mark it!


9. C.J. Spiller will be a candidate for Rookie of The Year.

The Bills are going to run the ball, that's a given, but whether or not the man toting the rock is C.J. Spiller or Fred Jackson will be the ultimate question. Spiller was a phenom at Clemson and is as dynamic as they come where the running game is concerned—he will battle Fred Jackson for the big time carries this season.

If he wins, expect him to produce and be quite the spark plug on a Bills team that has been mired in mediocrity for far too long—now, if they could just get that quarterback spot locked down.

10. The Oakland Raiders will win eight games this season.

Did I just make myself sound crazy? Well, that's okay (see intro). I don't think much of Jason Campbell but I think a lot more of him than I did JaMarcus Russell. I expect the soft-spoken QB who was tossed away by Washington to play with a renewed vigor this season as he attempts to lead the Raiders back to AFC significance.

The pieces are in place in Oakland and the only thing missing was a decent quarterback to lead the way. Look for Zach Miller to have his best season yet and watch both Louis Murphy and Darren McFadden mature into the players they were meant to become when they were brought to Oakland.

I sound insane again, right?...(again, check the intro).

Are you ready for some football?!?...I know I am.

It Seems Like Everyone, Except The Denver Broncos, Has Signed Tim Tebow

I'm perplexed. No, really, I am.

The Denver Broncos, their fans, and players have done nothing but glow about Tim Tebow. As a matter of fact, the team has been absolutely over-the-moon about their 2010 NFL Draft selection—the guy they traded away three draft picks to be able to move up and snag him at No. 25.

Coach Josh McDaniels has been overwhelmingly optimistic about what Tebow will add to the Bronco's offense and, quite frankly, despite the fact that Tebow has never played a down of pro football, you have to get the sense that as a first-round selection, he will not be warming the bench in Denver for long.

He'll play this season. Bet on it. He will find his way onto the field in 2010 and, if he performs well, say goodbye to Kyle Orton in 2011. They love Tebow that much in Denver—even former quarterback, John Elway, has spoken of how impressed  he is with the demeanor of the ex-Florida quarterback.

Nike gave him his own shoe—decked in the orange and blue he so adored as a Gator. EA Sports made him the cover athlete for their 2011 NCAA Football game. Even the underwear giant, Jockey, signed him to a lucrative sponsorship deal to model their signature undergarments.

I say all of that, to say this, why haven't the Denver Broncos signed their prized player yet? Everyone else has, what on earth could be their hold up?

Could it be that the Broncos don't want to end up overpaying him based on his obvious popularity?

I mean, Tebow may become one of the NFL's most recognizable faces but, the truth of the matter is, he likely never should have been selected in the first-round. His selection at 25 was surprising to the many analysts and experts who thought he was better served as a late-second or early-third round player.
Their critique of him was not based on his personality but on his overall potential as a quarterback in the league.

He may prove many wrong by the time it's all said and done, but, what he's entitled to is a contract that guarantees him $8 million—nothing more. Will his handlers try and angle for more?

Tebow has already made it clear that he does not wish to hold out and the Denver Broncos are set to start camp tomorrow—you do the math. By all accounts, this should be a done deal by Wednesday. If it's not, I would be greatly surprised.

However, if for some reason he isn't able to get there by then, he could always kill some time by doing another autograph session. I hear those have been pretty popular for him.