Carlton Bailey
03-22-2007, 08:11 AM
I'm kind of hoping we're able to land Buster Davis in the draft. I loved him at FSU, and he seems like a standup guy. Here's an interview I just read w/ him. I agree w/ Buster regarding height. Who cares how tall he is?
http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2007/03/nfl-busterdavis-interview220307.html
The one thing James "Buster" Davis doesn't do is worry.
The ex-Florida State inside linebacker has performed the obligatory workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and his school's pro day, lowering his 40 time to 4.6 and increasing his bench press reps. He demonstrated a more-than-adequate vertical leap, and came across as both football smart and articulate. Game films from a 2006 season the Seminoles as a group would rather forget show him all over the field, leading the team with 109 tackles.
"There's nothing I can do now but wait," Davis told Realfootball365.com earlier this week. "I did everything to the best of my ability. I can't grow two inches taller."
Ah, the H Word -- height. At 5-foot-10, 240 pounds, Davis doesn't quite fit into the NFL mold for his position. (OK, maybe it's more like 5-9½, 235 pounds).
"I don't see where that's ever hurt me," Davis said. "I've done pretty well in pass defense, and that's the only place where height really matters."
As for his speed, considered just average for a linebacker these days, Davis argues, "How can you tell a 4.6 from a 4.5 on game film? I think I do a good job of anticipating plays, figuring out where the ball is going to be. My numbers prove that."
Other smallish linebackers before him have also proven that you don't have to be 6 feet tall to start -- and star -- in the NFL. London Fletcher is the latest, with Sam Mills the most notable before him.
"Just look at Ernie Sims," Davis said.
In 2005, Sims played alongside Davis as an outside linebacker on the Seminole defense. When he left school after his junior year to turn pro, he was listed as 5-11, 230. As a Detroit rookie, he piled up 124 tackles.
"Those combine numbers don't really mean a thing, as far as I'm concerned," Davis said. "I think it's gotten blown out of proportion. Running for time and going through those tests is so different from actually playing football. You see guys who are workout warriors and then do nothing as pros."
Davis was a first-team USA Today All-American at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, and he was recruited by heavyweights like Ohio State, Tennessee and Southern Cal.
"None of those college coaches seemed worried about how tall I was," Davis said.
He received considerable playing time as an FSU freshman, and moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore.
"This last season was rough," he said of the team's 7-6 finish. "We just lost our continuity. It didn't seem like we were all on the same page. And everybody brings their best game when they play us."
Buster Davis brings his best game all the time. Although he's an NFL fan (his dream is to be included in the Madden video game), he doesn't have a sense of where he might best fit in -- or which teams are most interested in him.
"It's really hard to tell from the way they talk with you at the combine," he said. "Whoever pulls the trigger on me is fine. I'll go play there."
Standing tall.
http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2007/03/nfl-busterdavis-interview220307.html
The one thing James "Buster" Davis doesn't do is worry.
The ex-Florida State inside linebacker has performed the obligatory workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and his school's pro day, lowering his 40 time to 4.6 and increasing his bench press reps. He demonstrated a more-than-adequate vertical leap, and came across as both football smart and articulate. Game films from a 2006 season the Seminoles as a group would rather forget show him all over the field, leading the team with 109 tackles.
"There's nothing I can do now but wait," Davis told Realfootball365.com earlier this week. "I did everything to the best of my ability. I can't grow two inches taller."
Ah, the H Word -- height. At 5-foot-10, 240 pounds, Davis doesn't quite fit into the NFL mold for his position. (OK, maybe it's more like 5-9½, 235 pounds).
"I don't see where that's ever hurt me," Davis said. "I've done pretty well in pass defense, and that's the only place where height really matters."
As for his speed, considered just average for a linebacker these days, Davis argues, "How can you tell a 4.6 from a 4.5 on game film? I think I do a good job of anticipating plays, figuring out where the ball is going to be. My numbers prove that."
Other smallish linebackers before him have also proven that you don't have to be 6 feet tall to start -- and star -- in the NFL. London Fletcher is the latest, with Sam Mills the most notable before him.
"Just look at Ernie Sims," Davis said.
In 2005, Sims played alongside Davis as an outside linebacker on the Seminole defense. When he left school after his junior year to turn pro, he was listed as 5-11, 230. As a Detroit rookie, he piled up 124 tackles.
"Those combine numbers don't really mean a thing, as far as I'm concerned," Davis said. "I think it's gotten blown out of proportion. Running for time and going through those tests is so different from actually playing football. You see guys who are workout warriors and then do nothing as pros."
Davis was a first-team USA Today All-American at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, and he was recruited by heavyweights like Ohio State, Tennessee and Southern Cal.
"None of those college coaches seemed worried about how tall I was," Davis said.
He received considerable playing time as an FSU freshman, and moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore.
"This last season was rough," he said of the team's 7-6 finish. "We just lost our continuity. It didn't seem like we were all on the same page. And everybody brings their best game when they play us."
Buster Davis brings his best game all the time. Although he's an NFL fan (his dream is to be included in the Madden video game), he doesn't have a sense of where he might best fit in -- or which teams are most interested in him.
"It's really hard to tell from the way they talk with you at the combine," he said. "Whoever pulls the trigger on me is fine. I'll go play there."
Standing tall.