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Terrell Davis speaks on Super Bowl LIX, Saquon Barkley, Running Back Contracts & More

Two-time Super Bowl champion Terrell Davis spoke with PHLY’s Zach Berman ahead of Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Davis, who won Super Bowl XXXII MVP as a member of the Denver Broncos in 1997, knows what it takes to perform at the highest level as a running back in the NFL.

In his first four pro seasons, Davis accumulated 6,413 rushing yards, 1,181 receiving yards and 61 total touchdowns, earning First Team All-Pro honors three times, two Offensive Player of the Year awards and one MVP.

But it was in the postseason where Davis made his legacy.

In two Super Bowl wins (XXXII, XXXIII), Davis rushed for a total of 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. ‘T.D.’ remains the record-holder for most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason (8) and is the all-time leader in playoff rushing yards per game (142.5). He is one of seven running backs in history to win Super Bowl MVP.

With Super Bowl LIX on the horizon, Davis spoke about the big game, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, running backs in the modern NFL, and more.

On Barkley potentially breaking his record of 2,476 rushing yards in a single season (regular season and playoffs):

“It's not about whether I want him to, but if somebody's going to break it, it couldn't happen to a better guy, a better athlete, a better person. I'm excited for him and his journey and where he was last year. Now he gets the chance to be in the postseason, one game away from winning the Super Bowl.”

“What's cool about watching football this time of year is that when you turn on a game and you see your name constantly being mentioned with the best. You see the yards, touchdowns, 100 yard games. And when you see that, man, I like seeing my name there. I love seeing my name there.”

“He's gonna break it, obviously. He's only 29 yards away from it. So he'll break it, but they'll put me second and third. That's still pretty cool. I can live with that.”

On the significance of Davis’ regular season plus playoff record of 2,476 rushing yards:

“To me, it carries a lot more weight because the [postseason] games are more important. And when you could have that kind of success in the postseason and your team is having success, that's what we play the game for, man. In the biggest moments and the brightest lights you perform well, that's where I'm most proud of, is that when the stage was big, I was able to go and play and deliver and hold up my end of the bargain, be accountable to my teammates and eventually win Super Bowls.”

“I think those are certainly numbers that I am more proud of when you get to the postseason as opposed to, I had good regular seasons too, but obviously postseasons carry more weight, the history, winning championships, that to me is more significant than anything in a regular season.”

On being the last running back to win Super Bowl MVP and Barkley potentially becoming the next:

“With him in that offense and the way they run the football and his importance to that team, it looks likely that he will be MVP if they win. He'll definitely get that honor. And I believe he’ll be a guy to touch the ball 30 times this game.”

“He's too special for him not to get the ball that many times. And I know that as a coach, when you walk off that field and this last game, you don't want to have any regrets.”

On what he appreciates about Saquon’s game from the perspective of a Hall of Fame running back:

“I appreciate all the tools he has. It's rare you see a back that has every single trait of a great back. I was a big back. I had some speed. I had top, top end speed. I had some vision. I had some cutting ability. But I wasn't shifty like Saquon is. So he's got power. His stop-starts are just ridiculous.”

“He's got incredible moves, great spatial awareness. He can run physical. He can run in a different gear to where he's light on his feet, but at the end he can punish you. Then obviously the big thing is when he breaks out, he's gone. I've never seen the man get caught.”

“He's got the best sequence of moves that I've ever seen in my life. And you know what sequence I'm talking about - the spin move, backing up, jumping backwards over a defender. I would have never thought in my time that that's a possibility to even pull off a move like that.”

On if successes of running back like Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs can change how the position is viewed around the league:

“Absolutely. And that's how the demise of running backs came, where teams were looking at backs that were getting hurt and they saw how that was affecting their team. So now this is kind of a cycle and we're getting to a point where now, teams are looking across the field and they're playing against the Saquons and the Derrick Henrys and the Josh Jacobs and the James Cooks. And they're like, wait a minute.”

“Those teams who have those backs are now important for a number of reasons, mostly to help younger quarterbacks mature. But they also do a lot for your offensive line. They do a lot for your defense. You keep the other team off the field. They allow you to be able to play with the defense in terms of play action passes. So quarterbacks have a clear, you know, better window when they're throwing. Even veteran quarterbacks can appreciate having a running back because that guy, he's hot and when he's the difference maker, it affects every single body.”

“So with Saquon doing it, everybody being free agents and they're seeing how well these backs played, it's now time to get them paid again.”

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