For junior nose guard Jordan Davis, the decision not to opt out of Friday’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to potentially start his journey toward a career in the NFL was an easy one to make.
“First of all, I love balling with my brothers,” Davis said. “That’s a big reason, probably the only reason because I love my team too much, I love my dogs too much.”
For the record, Davis has not decided what he is going to do as far as the NFL is concerned. That decision, he said, will come sometimes after the Peach Bowl.
“I have not yet,” Davis said. “I’m not even thinking about it until after the season. That is where my focus is. I am focused on this team and this game. I don’t have a decision right now.”
Whatever his ultimate decision, the Bulldog coaches and players are just glad to have their big nose tackle back again after injuring his elbow at Kentucky back on Oct. 31.
The North Carolina native could not be more excited.
“I was very motivated to play again as soon as possible,” Davis said. “Malik (Herring) can tell you; he was on my tail to make sure I was doing the little extra things. We would be sitting in meetings and he would be like, 'stretch your arm out, stretch your arm out.’ I love my guys; I just wanted to me with them as much as I can.”
Defensive coordinator Dan Lanning is obviously happy to have his big man back to anchor the middle of the Bulldogs’ defensive line.
With Davis, it is not so much the tackles, but his ability to take on double- and even sometimes triple-teams that allows the rest of Georgia’s defenders to do their thing.
“There's a difference when 99 is on the field no doubt. Jordan makes us a much better defense,” Lanning said. “I also think Missouri's scheme was a little bit different in what they did. You will see we did some different stuff against Missouri as well. Each team you have to assess. Each game is a new game, each Saturday is a new Saturday. You roll out a different plan and are ready to execute. It definitely helps when we have Jordan inside.
“I know Nakobe (Dean) appreciates Jordan being out there right in front of him.”
Indeed, he does.
“Oh, yeah, he makes it a world easier for me. He eats up them double-teams, everything like that. He takes pride in it. Also, he just does not do it as his job, he takes pride eating up double-teams, making sure I am free,” Dean said. “He come to the sideline, ask me all the time, what is it looking like? Are they getting in my face, everything like that? It's great to have him back.”
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell is not so sure, at least from the perspective of the Bearcats.
When asked about the presence of Jordan, the former Ohio State defensive coordinator said players like Davis are probably the kind of athletes’ teams like his simply do not get to face all that often, and that will be a big concern for his offensive line come Friday.
“That's probably the one thing in our league, this year, that we probably haven't faced. We faced really good football teams, good speed, good talent, all the different things, but sometimes you don't quite see those guys up front that are that big of difference makers,” Fickell said. “That's why even for our guys, it is an incredible challenge for them, that they get to play against -- how else are you going to measure yourself to see where you are? It's not about winning every battle; it's about winning the war.”
Winning Friday’s game is exactly Davis’ intention.
Despite the fact the was a former three-star, the affable junior certainly exceeded the expectations many had for him when he first arrived at Georgia, a fact he credits his team for pushing him to become the best he could be.
“I wouldn't consider myself a star. I just do what I have to do to make sure I'm successful, make my teammates successful: complementary football,” Davis said. “Like I said, Malik really my dog. Julian Rochester, all the seniors before, last previous years, they taught me everything I know. I would not be here without them. I am just motivated by them. They pushed me to go harder. They pushed me to go faster, longer, stronger. Anything I really do is for them, for the whole team. I love the team. Without them, I wouldn't be here.”
