Terrell Davis called it.

When the former Denver Broncos’ running back became a top 15 Hall of Fame finalist last month for the third consecutive year, T.D. said spare the trouble.

LaDainian Tomlinson is going in.

I polled seven of the 48 Hall of Fame voters the past two days. They all said L.T. is a slam dunk.

Because L.T. is a running back, it doesn’t look good for T.D. to make it.

“L.T.’s going in,’’ Davis said. “I haven’t been told there’s a rule that only one (running back) goes in. So it wouldn’t preclude me from going in. But just from the way I’ve seen it play out, based on that, and based on the logjam you have at other positions, it’s just seems to me they wouldn’t do it. I don’t know if that’s a conscious thing (with voters) or subconscious thing. I don’t know when’s the last time they put two of the same positions in, unless they were both first-ballot Hall of Famers.’’

There may be 22 players on a football field at one time, but the Hall of Fame really only considers 13 – one QB, one running back, one receiver, one tight end, one guard, one tackle and one center on offense; a defensive end, defensive tackle, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback and safety on defense.

Kickers and punters combine for a 14th position, but almost never get elected. Jan Stenerud is the only pure kicker in the Hall of Fame and Ray Guy is the only pure punter. Head coaches comprise a 15th position.

Rarely does the Hall of Fame voting committee elect two modern-era players at the same position in the same year. The last time this happened was 2006 when quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Warren Moon were elected.

Two modern-era running backs haven’t been elected in the same class since Frank Gifford and Gale Sayers in 1977. And Gifford was as much flanker as halfback.

Here’s how it works: No more than 5 modern-era candidates can be elected. Ordinarily, those who finish 6 through 10 one year, are the top 5 the next.

Davis and former Broncos safety John Lynch were in the second 10 last year. Lynch has a better than 50-50 shot for election tomorrow. His odds would be better except another former Bronco safety, Brian Dawkins, is also a finalist.

Davis would have made it this year – except this is the year Tomlinson was put on the ballot. L.T. is fifth all time with 14,101 yards. Davis was great for four years, but is 55th with 7,607 yards. Quarterback Kurt Warner was in line to get elected last year but he was bumped by first-ballot candidate Brett Favre.

T.D. smokes L.T. in the postseason, but sometimes Super Bowls matter and sometimes not.

“The only way I can describe it is like playing in the Super Bowl,’’ said Davis, who was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXII. “There’s going to be an outcome either way. There’s a possibility you’re going to win that game or lose that game. You don’t prepare for it necessarily because all your focus is on winning. But once the game is over and you happen to lose, life goes on. So you have to prepare for that. I’m excited until they tell me no.’’

CONTACT Mike Klis OR 9NEWS Sports ON FACEBOOK

Copyright 2017 KUSA