Saints linebacker Demario Davis wears eye black with three crosses and a quotation of the Bible verse Revelation 3:8, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photograph/Zach Bolinger)
In simply a few weeks, New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis will start his thirteenth NFL season. Most NFL gamers who’re 35 years outdated are both kickers or quarterbacks — those that keep away from common contact. Thirty-five-year-old linebackers, however, have often lengthy since retired.
Not Demario Davis, the oldest linebacker in the NFL. In actual fact, he’s getting higher with age.
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In the course of the 2023-24 common season, Davis recorded the second-most tackles of his career (121) and earned his second consecutive Professional Bowl nod. They’re the one two Professional Bowl picks of his profession, regardless of being named a first-team All-Professional for the primary time in 2019, when he was 30. He’s been a second-team All-Professional yearly since then. In every of the final seven seasons, he’s amassed greater than 100 tackles, and never since his rookie yr with the New York Jets in 2012 has he recorded fewer than 90. What’s extra, the one sport he’s missed in his profession got here in 2021, when he was identified with COVID.
Final week in an look on Fox Sports activities Radio’s “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd, Davis defined why his profession has had the trajectory it has.
“Why am I nonetheless taking part in? It’s as a result of God just isn’t finished with what He’s doing with me within the sport but,” he said. “I’ll play so long as He tells me to maintain going, as a result of it’s Him that’s extending my platform as a result of He is aware of what I’m gonna do with it. He is aware of each time I get in a seat like this, I’m gonna give glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m gonna say it’s due to Him that I’m right here.”
Davis later advised the listeners that they can also take pleasure in realizing and being identified by God.
“He needs to have that very same sort of connection and relationship with you. … [My career is] a platform that offers me a possibility to speak about Him, and so long as He needs to make use of it for that, I’m gonna do it.”
“He is aware of each time I get in a seat like this, I’ll give glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Saints LB @demario__davis provides glory to God in an look on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports activities Radio and FS1. pic.twitter.com/vIc7izgegy
— Sports activities Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) August 13, 2024
Davis additionally talked about briefly on “The Herd” a second in his profession when he critically thought of retirement. It was 2017, and he had simply completed his one and solely season with the Cleveland Browns.
“I used to be able to retire, and I stated, ‘God, my physique is broke down, my thoughts is broke down, I can’t do it anymore. But when You need me to go ahead, I’ll hold going.’ And I’m praying this,” Davis recounted. “God actually spoke to me internally and was similar to, ‘I acquired it. You wave the white flag, I acquired it from right here.’ And so I can’t assist however to make use of this platform to proceed to offer Him glory each time.”
In a feature for Sports Spectrum Magazine from the Fall 2022 version, Davis additional defined that pivotal second in his profession.
“I’m like, ‘God, OK. I give up. I wave the white flag. … If You need me to go ahead, It’s a must to rejuvenate my thoughts. It’s a must to rejuvenate my physique,’” he stated, to which Davis says God responded, “Thanks for getting out of My manner. The one factor I don’t need you to do is neglect that you just waved the white flag.”
Since surrendering his NFL profession to God, Davis has sought to make the name of Jesus known at each alternative. He was traded again to the Jets in June 2017, and that fall he recorded essentially the most tackles of his profession (135). He signed with the Saints as an unrestricted free agent the next offseason, and he’s seen his profession take off. On the identical time, so has his boldness in talking brazenly about his Heavenly Father.
Davis has been a guest on the Sports Spectrum Podcast a number of occasions since signing with the Saints.
In 2019, he garnered nationwide consideration for being fined by the NFL for sporting a “Man of God” headband, however after public outrage, his fine was rescinded. Noticing the publicity, Davis began promoting “Man of God” headbands on-line, and donated the proceeds — greater than $300,000 — to St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, the place his mom as soon as labored.
He’s preached the name of Christ throughout press conferences, spoken out against social injustices, accepted the 2021 faith-based Bart Starr Award, and rather more. He says he’s a “Servant of Christ” in his Instagram bio, and has had an “immense fire” for the Kingdom of God since coming into right into a relationship with Christ when Davis was in faculty.
All of the whereas, Davis works tirelessly yr spherical to coach his physique and thoughts to be prepared for sport days. And he has no plans of slowing down any time quickly. In actual fact, Davis signed a new contract with the Saints in March that may hold him in New Orleans by the 2025-26 season.
But despite the fact that he’s praised league-wide for his unimaginable sturdiness and longevity, Davis is aware of none of it’s owing to himself.
“That is the work that He’s doing and never me,” Davis stated within the journal characteristic. “So [football success is] for me to by no means really feel prefer it’s coming from my physique, for me to by no means really feel prefer it’s coming from my thoughts or my mind or something, besides the Spirit that He’s positioned inside me.”
Davis and the Saints start the common season at dwelling on Sept. 8 in opposition to the Carolina Panthers. The sport is about for 1 p.m. ET.
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