Denver Broncos: John Elway, Rod Smith
John Elway threw to a lot of different receivers during his 16 seasons in the NFL. But with all due respect to Ed McCaffrey and Shannon Sharpe, Rob Smith was probably his favorite. Smith was an unheralded receiver from Missouri Southern State when he caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Elway in the last minute of a win in 1995. The rest, as they say, is history.
It’s fair to say that Smith never would have forged much of a career in the NFL, much less become a Hall of Famer, without Elway. But Elway also benefited greatly from having Smith at his disposal late in his career. The two had remarkable chemistry and an almost telepathic connection, which is part of the reason Elway was able to lead the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowls in his final two seasons.
