Former Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 2012, but so far he’s not in. He’s hoping the class of 2024 may be his time.
“I feel I’m deserving but I don’t get to vote,” Smith told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Smith had good career numbers -- 849 catches for 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns -- but he thinks he was hurt by being on a run-first team.
“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 believes he’s hurt by the fact that he only made three Pro Bowls, which he called “more of a popularity vote.”
He’ll hope that the Hall of Fame selection committee sees it his way at its next selection meeting, in January.
