Avery Davis Returns to Notre Dame Seeking Closure, NFL Shot
Former Notre Dame captain Avery Davis was back on campus for Thursday’s Pro Day and he found himself in a similar, yet very different situation.
The Texas native participated in Pro Day last year, which landed him a free agent opportunity with the Detroit Lions, but Davis wanted one more true shot at impressing NFL coaches and personnel as he was coming off a second ACL injury last March.
“One part closure and the other part business,” Davis said following Thursday’s workout. “Last year, I was six months post-surgery. I wasn’t able to do everything. I didn’t want to go out like that. I reached out to Coach (Marcus) Freeman not too long ago and asked him for another opportunity. I’m feeling better and feeling like my old self. I’m thankful and grateful that I got the opportunity to come out here and get closure.”
Davis’ workout might have provided some closure on the field, but he also found it away from the field as he worked his way back to put himself in this position.
“Great,” Davis stated when asked how he felt. “It’s the best I’ve felt in so long - mentally, physically, and spiritually in all areas.”
The workout was impressive as Davis showed the ability to cut, explode and simply play the receiver position. Davis ran 4.56 in the 40, 35-inch vertical, ran a 4.37 shuttle and 7.09 in the 3-cone.
“Hopefully, I showed that I’m back,” said Davis. “I feel great. I feel amazing. I feel smooth, fast, strong and quick in and out. I don’t have any hesitancies and nothing is holding me back. I hope I showed I’m freaking ready.”
The last year has provided Davis with different opportunities, yet everything has been centered around giving himself one last shot at his dreams.
“I’ve been training,” explained Davis. “I’ve been in the gym. I’ve been riding the free agent wave. The recovery from my last injury, I wanted to be methodical with it and really be thorough with it and get all the way back up. I’ve also been training kids. It’s keeping me in the gym, keeping me in the sport and giving back to the youth. It’s been really fun.”
Davis was also impressed with his former teammates on Thursday, but the star of the show was someone he hadn’t played with before Pro Day.
“(Thomas) Harper did really well,” Davis stated. “He impressed everybody and he put on a show. I think Joe (Wilkins Jr.) did really well with his routes. I came up on Friday, so we were getting work. Sam (Hartman) is really impressive. It felt good to set some reps with him beforehand. Hopefully, it looked smooth when we got out there today.
“A lot of guys impressed me. Bo Bauer, oh my God. His story is something that’s noteworthy. Just seeing him come back here and compete again is awesome. I remember both of us in the training room and couldn’t even walk.”
And in typical form, Davis made sure to stress how thankful he was for the opportunity to find closure and show good health.
“I can’t give enough thanks to Coach Freeman for allowing me to come back and participate,” said Davis. “Everybody doesn’t get to do that. I’m grateful for that opportunity. I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Looking to join a Fighting Irish community and get the latest scoop? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish OHT Military Appreciation Cloud Jersey Desert Quarter-Zip
