Schottenheimer was proud of Davis and complimentary of the work he put in to get that opportunity. That pride was also bolstered by the fact that the Cowboys moved on from Davis this offseason, after he spent three years bouncing back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster.
“Literally, when we cut him in April, it was the right thing to do,” Schottenheimer said. “It really was. We were comfortable. Will [McClay] and I sat him down and we talked to him and we explained to him why.”
Schottenheimer didn’t get into the details of what Davis needed to improve on, but it’s evident that there has been improvement since the Cowboys cut him.
Davis has had quite the rise for the Cowboys this season. The Cowboys re-signed him initially out of necessity. Rookie running back Jaydon Blue and veteran Miles Sanders both had injuries in training camp, forcing the Cowboys to add a running back from a depth perspective. The Cowboys then turned to Davis out of familiarity.
An unfamiliar moment happened, however, when Davis arrived in Oxnard for camp on Aug. 8. Schottenheimer said he knew from the moment he hugged Davis — a fellow Florida Gator — again that he noticed something was different.
“He realized this is a fleeting dream if you don’t attack it right every day,” Schottenheimer said of Davis. “He’s always worked hard. He’s always been a talented runner, but the maturity and the work ethic and just absolute desire that he shows to want to be a successful, very good NFL football player has been on display from the get-go.”