During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. For this article, the Denver Broncos are the focus.
Denver Broncos Mount Rushmore
John Elway
This list has to start with John Elway. He is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Elway was drafted with the number one overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. He was named the MVP in 1987 and was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times. Elway didn’t have a ton of roster help at the beginning of his career, but with him under center the Broncos were contenders. During his time in the NFL, he led Denver to five Super Bowl appearances, winning two straight in 1997 and 1998. He retired immediately after the second Super Bowl victory. In the regular season, he threw for 51,475 yards and 300 touchdowns. He threw for 4,964 yards and 27 touchdowns in the postseason, finishing with a 14-7 record in the playoffs. Elway was the first Broncos player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he is the first Broncos player who comes to mind for almost every NFL fan. He is also the only quarterback to make the Broncos Mount Rushmore. Peyton Manning has had a great career, but he played his first 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and he has not won a Super Bowl with the Broncos.
Terrell Davis
The Broncos drafted Terrell Davis with their sixth-round pick (196th overall) in the 1995 NFL Draft and he played for Denver through 2001. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times and he finished his career with 7,607 rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns in the regular season, which are both still franchise records. His career may have been relatively brief, but his numbers from 1995 to 1998 are ridiculous. In those seasons, Davis rushed for 1,117 yards (seven touchdowns), 1,538 yards (13 touchdowns), 1,750 yards (15 touchdowns) and 2,008 yards (21 touchdowns), respectively. He won two Super Bowls during his time with the Broncos and he was named the Super Bowl MVP in 1997 after an incredible performance.
Champ Bailey
Champ Bailey was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round (seventh overall) in the 1999 NFL Draft and he played for Washington through the 2003 season. After Washington and Denver agreed to a trade of Bailey for running back Clinton Portis, Bailey joined the Broncos in 2004. He played for the Broncos through the 2013 season and he finished his career with 52 interceptions (34 while in Denver), 174 passes defended (123 while with the Broncos) and 812 tackles (522 while with Denver). In 2006, he led the NFL with 10 interceptions. Bailey was selected to 12 Pro Bowls and he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000’s Team. He is one of the best cornerbacks of all-time, and he will certainly be in the Hall of Fame.
Rod Smith
Rod Smith joined the Broncos in 1994 as an undrafted free agent and he spent his rookie season on the practice squad. He played his entire career in Denver, retiring in 2006. Denver went 126-70 in games in which Smith played. He finished with 849 receptions for 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns. These numbers are all still franchise records, as are his eight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Smith was elected into the team’s Ring of Fame in 2012, becoming only the 23rd member of the Broncos to receive the honor. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and he helped Denver win two Super Bowls.
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