Former Denver Broncos star wide receiver Rod Smith was one of the more dominant wide receivers in an era where teams did not throw the ball nearly as often as they do in the modern day. He’s been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2012 but hasn’t made it in – though he’s still holding out hope.
This week, Rod Smith made it clear that he thinks he deserves to have his name enshrined in Canton, Ohio’s Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I feel I’m deserving but I don’t get to vote,” Smith told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Smith finished his career with 849 catches for 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns – solid numbers. But he thinks his production was hurt by the team’s run-first offense.
“We had a 1,000-yard rusher every year I was there [except for one],’’ said Smith. “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.”
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.”
