Alex Davis won't be denied in his pursuit of playing time
For reasons he can't really explain, Alex Davis has always been a big fan of the number 22. He's always worn it if given the opportunity, but when he reached the varsity squad at Dwyer HS in Florida, another player already owned it.
Davis told his teammate he was coming for the number, and the coach threw down a gauntlet between the two.
"My coach said, ‘ Whoever goes hardest gets the number," Davis recalls. "So I went hard every day in practice and I finally earned that number.”
If Davis is willing to work that hard for a simple jersey number, imagine how he feels about earning a spot in Nebraska's defensive end rotation this fall.
The redshirt freshman has completely morphed both his body and his future over the past year. A two-star recruit, Davis was one of the final additions to the 2015 class. He didn't play football until his senior year and weighed 215 pounds - the same as quarterback Ryker Fyfe - on his visit last January.
He also had little experience in the weight room, and what limited time he'd spent there was filled with upper-body, basketball-specific lifts.
Despite all this, Davis came to Lincoln expecting to play right away and wasn't thinking about a redshirt. That changed after one practice - he saw the level that Nebraska's offensive tackles and other defensive ends were that and knew he would need time to get there.
“I’m not going to lie, I came in and I wanted to play," Davis said. "Any competitor wants to come in and play right away. But you get hit with reality and that’s what happened.”
It was an eye-opening process, but Davis didn't shy from it. He's added 40 pounds of good weight ("I just ate when everybody told me to,") and is up to 255 now.
The mental side of the game was just as important, and Davis asked his fair share of questions to get caught up with his more-experienced teammates and coaches. He said he honestly learns something new in each practice.
The coaches took notice, naming Davis the Scout Team Defensive MVP last fall. But, as if he needed any more motivation, defensive line coach Hank Hughes was fired in the offseason and replaced by John Parrella. Nothing Davis accomplished in 2015 mattered to Parrella - the redshirt freshman had to prove himself all over again.
“I have to prove myself every day," Davis said. "This game is about physicality. You don’t want to come out soft one day and look bad on film.”
The coveted No. 22 jersey belonged to senior Anthony Ridder last year, so Davis had no shot of stealing it. He settled for 32, but with Ridder graduated, 22 is open and available. Since Devine Ozigbo (who also wears 22) plays offense, Davis could switch back to his trusted number if he pleases.
Regardless of what number is on his chest, Davis is confident his impact won't be limited to the practice field this year. And he's shown that when he wants something, he won't be outworked in his effort to get it.
“Oh yeah," Davis responded when asked if he's ready to play right now. "I’m ready and I’m learning every day. By that first day, I’ll have everything down.”