… Made of Iron
Davis’ participation numbers are mind-blowing. He’s played in every regular-season game except two in his 14-year career, 227 in all (and 80 of those as a Jet). In the last 13 of those seasons, he’s started all but three of those games, for 210 starts from 2013.
As for plays,.**according to Pro Football Reference**, he’s logged 13,423 defensive snaps in his career, plus another 997 on special teams. Where more than a few players are happy just to get to 1,000 snaps in one NFL season, Davis has averaged 1,030 total snaps a season and is still going.
A Man of Honors
Davis is no stranger to late-season team awards. As a Jet, he twice won the Dennis Byrd Award. in 2013 and again in ’17, as the most inspirational teammate.
Then with the Saints, he seemed to find his niche and it was as a three-time winner as the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the league’s most prestigious honor, recognizing players who excel on the field and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.
Demario Knows Walter
Davis, as an eight-time Saints captain and three-time nominee for the national Payton award, knows all about the honor because he’s been well acquainted with the legendary Bears RB since he was a kid.
“Walter Payton the football player was always someone I looked up to,” Davis has said of his fellow Mississippian. “As I got older, learning about the things he did in the community only increased my respect of him even more. Through my Devoted Dreamers Foundation, we are more committed than ever to develop youth to become dynamic young men and women who will lead this community into the future.”
Davis, along with his wife, Tamela, founded the foundation and launched the Devoted Dreamers Academy, a youth leadership and development program designed to equip students with tools for success through education, mentorship, character building and life skills.