ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Ask former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan about Terrell Davis and Shanahan will, without fail, end a string of compliments with “and we don’t win those Super Bowls without T.D."

Thursday, Davis was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2016. Davis was one of 15 modern-era candidates selected finalists; it is the third consecutive year Davis has been a finalist.

As many as five modern-era finalists can be voted into the Hall’s class of 2016. The board of selectors will meet Feb. 6 -- the day before Super Bowl 50 -- to choose those to be enshrined.

Davis’ résumé is far more about quality and playoff excellence than simple longevity. While Davis did play 78 regular-season games in an injury-shortened career, there are already six running backs in the Hall of Fame who played fewer games than that.

And his résumé overall marks him as perhaps the best postseason player at his position in the Super Bowl era.

Davis’ 97.5 yards rushing per game in the regular season is the third-highest total in league history among running backs who had rushing attempts in at least 75 games, while his 142.5 yards rushing per game in the postseason is the highest average per game in league history for running backs who had rushing attempts in at least five playoff games. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry in the postseason and his team won seven consecutive postseason games in which he rushed for at least 100 yards.

Overall, his teams won 91.7 percent of regular-season and postseason games combined when he rushed for at least 100 yards. And the only two running backs in league history to average more than 100 yards rushing per game over their careers in regular-season and postseason games combined are Davis and Jim Brown.

Davis is also one of just 12 players to have won a league MVP award and a Super Bowl MVP award.