Denver Broncos legendary wide receiver Rod Smith thinks that he belongs in the Hall of Fame even though he hasn’t made it in over a decade.
He’s been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2012 but hasn’t made it in, but he is still holding out hope. Smith believes his body of work is worthy of induction.
“I feel I’m deserving, but I don’t get to vote,” Smith said, via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Head coach Mike Shanahan called Smith “one of the biggest reasons” they won consecutive Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999.
Smith thinks he would’ve had much better numbers if he had not played in a system that was geared toward running the ball so much.
“We had a 1,000-yard rusher every year I was there [except for one],” Smith said. “You’ve got to look at my complete body of work. During my era, we won more games than just about anybody. At the end of the day, what I cared about more than anything was winning, and they can’t take the Super Bowls away from me.”
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It’s going to keep getting increasingly hard for Smith to get in as Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, and Andre Johnson all narrowly missed enshrinement as modern-era finalists from the class of 2023.
Smith also believes his Hall of Fame resume is hurt by the fact that he only made three Pro Bowls, calling it “more of a popularity vote.”
In his career, Smith recorded eight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, and he played a key role in two Super Bowl winners. He led the league with 113 receptions in 2001, and he was named to three Pro Bowls and earned two first-team All-Pro selections.
Smith also compiled 11,389 career receiving yards, which ranks 34th in NFL history.
