Broncos legend Terrell Davis to join CSU as Athletics ‘Rambassador’
Contact:
Tiana Kennedy, AVP Communications, CSU and CSU System
Denver Broncos legend Terrell Davis has delivered some of the most iconic moments in Colorado sports history – a sixth round draft pick who emerged to help the Broncos win two Super Bowl championships.
He’s one of only a handful of players in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season, he’s been both the Super Bowl MVP and League MVP, and he is the one who started the celebratory tradition known as the Mile High Salute. In 2017 Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Now, the man all of Colorado knows as TD will join Colorado State University’s Presidential Executive in Residence program, which was launched earlier this year to engage top professionals from a cross-section of industries and disciplines in advisory roles and to provide direct connections for students and the broader campus community.
“Throughout Colorado, TD truly embodies what can be accomplished through excellence, grit, determination and giving back to the community,” CSU President Amy Parsons said. “Those same traits align with our values and mission here at CSU, which is why we’re excited to have TD join the Ramily and serve in a unique role that will inspire and engage the entire CSU community.”
Engagement beyond athletics
For the coming year, Davis will formally serve as “CSU Athletics Rambassador,” though his engagement will extend beyond the athletic department. He will be on the sidelines for home football games, work with student-athletes and coaches across all 16 CSU sports programs, speak to classes, engage with media, attend university events, and work with donors and stakeholders to secure new sources of support.
“Colorado is my home, and over the years I’ve been looking for the right opportunity to give back to this state that has given me so much,” Davis said. “As I’ve come to understand the history and mission of CSU, I recognize a clear set of shared beliefs – this notion that you can change the world, improve your community and make a difference when you combine talent, creativity, hard work and determination. That resonates with me, and I’m honored to serve as CSU’s Athletics Rambassador.”
Director of Athletics John Weber said Davis will elevate CSU Athletics in a variety of ways – from working directly with student-athletes to bringing more attention to specific sports and helping with fundraising and NIL (name, image and likeness).
“Great recognizes great, and grit recognizes grit,” Weber said. “TD is going to be around all our teams, and it is going to be a really fun year. CSU is a fantastic academic and research institution, and we have the foundation in athletics to compete at the highest levels. Having the support and involvement of TD will really help enhance and amplify all the great things happening here at CSU.”
Career path
Davis is the first to acknowledge that his path to success was circuitous and hard fought. He was raised by his mother in San Diego, California, where he played football at Lincoln High School. Davis started his collegiate career at Long Beach State University, but the school ended its football program after his first year.
Davis transferred to the University of Georgia, where he became the Bulldogs’ top running back during the 1993 season and graduated with a degree in consumer economics. The Denver Broncos selected Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL (196th overall), a disappointing outcome that he took as a personal challenge.
It didn’t take long for Davis to show the Broncos his talent. A breakout performance in a preseason game in Tokyo against the San Francisco 49ers was an emphatic statement, and he went on to rush for more than 1,000 yards during his rookie season. Later that year, his teammates voted him the most valuable offensive player on the Broncos.
Davis played seven seasons with the Denver Broncos, becoming the team’s all-time leading rusher and proving to many that he is one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. He is now one of nine Denver Broncos enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“My path was paved here in Colorado, where I was known as the guy who loved to put in the hard work,” Davis said. “The athletes here at CSU, this institution, that’s what they’re about, too. I really want to come in to help this university compete at the highest level on and off the field. If I can do that and help just a little bit, then it will go a long way.”
Staying active
Since retiring from football, Davis has been active as both a philanthropist and entrepreneur. Today, he serves as the founder and chief development officer of DEFY, a sports nutrition company. DEFY was inspired by Davis’ experience as an athlete and struggles with injury and inflammation following his playing career.
“TD has so much valuable experience and knowledge to contribute across our campus,” Parsons said. “I foresee opportunities for him to talk about his entrepreneurial journey with students in the College of Business or share insights on injury recovery with students in our Health and Exercise Science program.”
The idea for this new partnership began when Davis and Parsons met at a charity event in Denver – the Dancing with the Denver Stars Gala put on by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. Both Davis and Parsons have served as “dancing stars” as part of the nonprofit’s popular fundraising event.
CSU alumni and supporters encouraged Davis and CSU to explore what a potential partnership could look like, with conversations ultimately leading to an appointment through CSU’s Presidential Executive in Residence Program.
About the program
Parsons launched the initiative in February 2024 with Major League Baseball broadcaster Jenny Cavnar as the inaugural executive. The program advances excellence at CSU by bringing in renowned experts who have achieved extraordinary things in a variety of fields. Appointees to the program serve for designated time periods and receive donor-funded stipends for their work with the university.
“This just feels right,” Davis said. “This is a great opportunity to influence young people and put my time and energy into the future with a great organization, a great academic institution, and an athletics program that is really starting to blossom. The big picture is elevation, and that is what I hope to do.”
