Running back Mike Davis thrilled to be a Seahawk
Mike Davis was at home, battling Richard Sherman online in the video game Call of Duty when his phone lit up with the text he’s been waiting for ever since the Seahawks informed him earlier this fall that he hadn’t made their 53-man roster.
“Congrats,” Davis’ agent texted him on Tuesday morning. “You just got signed to the 53-man roster. They’re sending your contract now.”
Davis was pumped. So pumped that even though he’s the self-proclaimed unbeatable Call of Duty champion in the Seahawks’ locker room, Davis discontinued the game and headed straight to Seattle’s practice facility to start getting ready for practice.
With C.J. Prosise now on injured reserve due to an ankle injury, the Seahawks bumped Davis from the practice squad to the 53-man roster Tuesday to beef up a running back corps that now consists of Davis, Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls and J.D. McKissic.
For Davis, a third-year running back out of South Carolina, this is the chance he’s been waiting for ever since San Francisco cut him in May, two years after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Davis played in 14 games in two seasons in San Francisco, tallying 108 yards and a rushing touchdown on 54 carries. But he was surprised when the 49ers released him in the spring, two years into his rookie contract.
“It was a major shock to me because I feel like I didn’t get a chance there, especially with the new coaching staff,” Davis said. “But I can’t be angry about it. It happens, it’s a business.”
That doesn’t mean he’s forgotten though.
Davis says he plays “more confident” now, and “more angry.”
“Since I got cut, I play with an edge. A chip on my shoulder,” Davis said. “That’s something that really killed me, when I got cut. I say it changed everything I do.”
Davis was claimed off waivers by Seattle three days after the 49ers cut him. He’s been with the Seahawks ever since, and he finished the preseason as Seattle’s leading rusher, with 106 yards on 26 carries, and five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.
“Mike has really been one of our favorites all the way back to camp,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. “He had a really good offseason and a really good camp with us, and a good preseason.
“He can catch the football, he has contributed on special teams for us, so we see a little bit of well-roundedness in him and he is real competitive. He is real hungry to go.”
Based on his preseason productivity, Davis says he was shocked when he didn’t make the 53-man roster at the start of the season, but dealt with that quickly and was grateful to get signed to Seattle’s practice squad.
“I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” Davis said. “This is some place I want to be. I’ve got a lot of teammates, new friends. I’ve met a lot of people, and it’s great.”
Davis has enjoyed his time with the Seahawks so much that he says he might have stayed on their practice squad even if another team had approached him with an offer.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” Davis said. “They let their players play. It’s really fun to be here, and we all enjoy each other’s company.”
Now, Davis finally has the opportunity to prove his worth to the Seahawks. That his first game will come against his hometown team, the Atlanta Falcons, on Monday Night Football, just makes things that much sweeter.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted – to play against them,” said Davis, who recalls watching former Falcons QB Michael Vick tear up defenses while growing up. “It’s a major opportunity, especially coming from the practice squad and not playing for 10 weeks. It’s an opportunity and I’ve got to make the most of it.”