It’s the fourth quarter and Georgia is facing a fourth down and three with any hope of a miracle comeback riding on the outcome of this play.
Jarrad Davis scans the field and recognizes the Bulldogs’ formation. When Jacob Eason dropped back and found Javon Wims on a crossing route, Davis was there to meet him for a two-yard loss and a turnover on downs. It’s a play that Davis makes look routine, but the senior linebacker from Kingsland, Georgia didn’t know if he would have the chance to make that play when he woke up this morning.
“It was one of those real deal game-time situations,” Davis said after the game. “When people say game time they mean game time. I hated being in the unknown when it comes to those things cuz preparation is different but I did what I could as far as a practice standpoint.”
Davis was severely limited in practice this week and he admitted that it was difficult for him to prepare in the manner he’s grown accustomed to. Davis practiced in a limited form on Tuesday and then a little more on Wednesday.
“Not great,” McElwain said of how Davis looked Wednesday. “He got beat up by a tackling dummy on one play. But then was there Thursday and obviously full-walk through Friday.”
Just a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Georgia never extended Davis a scholarship offer — a snub he hasn’t forgotten. That’s why Davis changed up his routine this week, turning Florida’s training room into his second home.
“I came in there early, be in there all day, go to class come right back, go get some lunch comes right back. It’s like I lived in there this week. They knew I was going to do everything I could to be out here with my boys.”
Still, he woke up Saturday morning with a dark cloud of doubt over his head. He would test his ankle out when he got to the stadium but it wasn’t a guarantee that he would play in the final opportunity he would have against Georgia.
Davis went through Gator Walk, he embraced his mother one last time in Jacksonville.
“I talked with my mom a lot this week, you know it was a very emotional week,” Davis said. “It was hard, man. I didn’t want to miss this game.”
He made it through Gator Walk and then through warm ups without pads. His ankle was stiff but he was still able to move around. He went back into the locker room with his team to put pads on and continue testing his sprained ankle. It wasn’t long before Davis would make up his mind about his playing status on this day.
“I came out for pregame, pregame warmups, I just felt the energy in the stadium and I knew I had to play,” he said. “I knew I had to play.”
All that was left was to inform the training staff and Jim McElwain.
“I looked him in his eyes and he knew,” Davis said of his interaction with McElwain before the game. “He felt I was ready.”
Davis started the game and never had to come out. The senior finished with a team-high seven tackles, 2.5 for loss and one quarterback hurry. There were plays that he left on the field. He could feel his ankle throughout the three and a half hours the two teams played on Saturday but tapping out never crossed his mind.
“Pain is one thing that is temporary,” he said. “I felt it initially but once the game starts going and the bullets start flying you don’t really worry about pain. You get bumps and bruises, you get nicked, you get nacked when you’re out there. Even though I was hurting I had something else to really think about. It’s kind of like the Major Payne thing, you know, the guy’s leg was hurting and he took care of his finger. Kinda like that.”
More importantly he finished his career with a 3-1 record over the home state Georgia Bulldogs, the team that didn’t think he was good enough to offer a scholarship to.
“I didn’t come back to sit on the bench just because of an injury. This is a tough game. This is a game that a lot of people don’t get to play. Each and every opportunity you have to cherish. One like this, with me being from Georgia, it’s something I took personally and I wasn’t going to let that one slip.”