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Every team can use a good muleROB KEYSARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
"I wake up every day with a smile on my face, just lucky to be alive and breathing air," Davis said. "It's a great world, and I can't wait for the next day." Those who know Davis better than most -- his coaches and teammates -- aren't surprised by his sunny approach to life. They describe him alternately as easy-going, down-to-earth and laid-back. It's not exactly the personality one might expect from a guy who spends his Saturday afternoons in football's trenches. As Arkansas' starting nose guard, Davis is assigned some of the dirtiest work a football player can be asked to do. Davis' job often is to take on multiple blockers, plug holes or simply occupy space which opposing offenses covet as their own. His helmet has the battle scars to prove it. "There's nothing pretty about that, huh?" Davis said with a grin, holding up his helmet for inspection. The helmet is a fitting reflection of Davis as a player. At 6-3, 285, he is not the biggest, fastest or strongest player among Arkansas' defensive linemen. "He's no Arabian [horse]," starting defensive tackle Sacha Lancaster said. "He's just a hard-working mule." Davis freely acknowledges his lack of flashy speed or outlandish strength, but said there are ways to compensate. "I might not have the speed or other things that other guys have," Davis said. "But you know what? There's a lot of other things that take effect and that go on out on the football field between the white lines. There's heart, wanting to get to the ball, being a team player, taking coaching and a lot of other little things." Some of those "little things" include having quick hands and feet, good balance and polished moves. Defensive line coach Bill Johnson said Davis has all of the above. Johnson said he believes some of the labels applied to Davis don't exactly fit. "Curt always gets tagged as not having as much ability as other guys, or maybe not being as athletic, so to speak," Johnson said. "But I don't know why that's the case. "I think he does a lot of good things. He's a very fundamentally sound kid, he plays extremely hard and he's smart. Those are pretty good qualities to have for a defensive lineman." Davis bangs heads daily with offensive guard Kenny Sandln. "When you see Curt up there, he's not the type that's going to bull you over," Sandlin said. "But he is going to fight his butt off to try to get back there, so you better bring your 'A' game." Sandlin said Davis is especially proficient with the spin move and getting his hands inside a blocker's, thereby giving him the leverage to move the blocker in practically any direction. But Davis' best move, Sandlin said, is his "crossover." Sandlin said Davis uses this technique when a blocker is trying to push him in one direction. Instead of fighting against the block, Davis will slap the blocker's hands away, then use a quick sidestep to get himself into open space. "It's not dirty or a trick or anything like that," Sandlin said. "It's just a good move that he has, and he's perfected it. He's one of the best I've seen at that." Davis has used his moves to be highly productive at what is not always a productive position, statistically speaking. Despite facing constant double-teams, Davis ranks sixth on the team with 20 tackles. He also has a tackle for lost yardage, a quarterback hurry and a pass break-up. Johnson said believes Davis' most important contribution is his consistency. "I think anybody that coaches defensive line in college football likes guys like him. You can always use a guy that's got a good motor. But the thing I like about him more than anything else is that when you put him on the football field, you know what you're going to get." What Johnson and the Razorbacks get is anything but easy-going or laid-back. "When that helmet goes on, it's just like a mask going over my face," Davis said. "I switch personalities, and that's the way it needs to be. Guys that bring their attitude off the practice field and into everyday life, a lot of times they find themselves in trouble or in jail or a lot of other things." Davis apparently has a firm grasp on his two personalities. And while his playing style might not always be a thing of beauty, his approach and results are looking pretty good. "Man, if we had a bunch of people that just had his heart and gave his effort," Sandlin said. "We'd be sitting pretty."
This article was published on Thursday, October 26, 2000RETURN to main pageCopyright and permissions Copyright © 2000, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. |
