Denver Salutes Retiring Davis

Bad knees did what opponents never could: stop Terrell Davis.

During introductions for Monday night’s exhibition game against San Francisco, the Bronco running back walked through the tunnel in uniform for the final time.

To a standing ovation, he waved to the fans and was hugged by his teammates, exchanging a long embrace with tight end Shannon Sharpe. Then Davis retired to the sideline.

Terrell Owens had seven catches for 123 yards as the 49ers beat the Broncos, 12-7.

Today, the Broncos, at Davis’ request, will put him on injured reserve, ending his season and effectively ending the career of a player who was both a Super Bowl and regular-season most valuable player.

Davis expected his farewell to be an emotional event.

“I have mixed feelings,” he said. “It’s tough. My mind tells me one thing, my knees say something else.”

A succession of knee injuries and surgeries since 1999--along with degenerative arthritis in both joints--made Davis’ decision inevitable. Hopeful of a return to good health in 2002 after playing in only 17 games the previous three seasons, Davis was unable to play in the Broncos’ opening exhibition game on Aug. 10, when he experienced pain and swelling in his left knee.

Davis was the Super Bowl MVP in 1998 then followed it with a season when he became only the fourth back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards, gaining 2,008 to become the league’s MVP for the 1998 season. He had 468 yards in three postseason games as the Broncos won another Super Bowl.

John Elway was Super Bowl MVP that year, but, as Sharpe said, “We got two Super Bowl rings because of Terrell Davis.”

Davis retires with 7,607 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns, adding 1,140 and 12 touchdowns in the postseason. He had seven consecutive 100-yard rushing performances in the playoffs, an NFL record, and his 142.5-yard average in the postseason also is a league mark.

Now the debate has begun over whether Davis belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Critics say he didn’t play long enough--only four full seasons, seven in all. But he has better career statistics than many runners already elected, including Gale Sayers, Leroy Kelly and Hugh McElhenny.

*

Two-time Pro-Bowl defensive lineman Sam Adams signed a multiyear deal with the Oakland Raiders. Adams, who helped Baltimore win the 2001 Super Bowl after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, was released by the Ravens last spring in the former champions’ huge salary purge.... Seattle signed veteran quarterback Mark Rypien to a one-year contract to help fill in for the injured Trent Dilfer. Rypien, 39, practiced with the Seahawks for the first time Monday morning at the team’s training camp in Cheney, near Spokane, where he lives.... Veteran quarterback Tony Banks signed with the Houston Texans.