Pono Davis hoping to clear one more obstacle
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:56 pmPono Davis hoping to clear one more obstacle
Senior defensive tackle hoping work ethic, team-first attitude earns NFL opportunity
Playing any interior defensive line position is, by definition, a thankless job. When defensive ends and linebackers race into the offensive backfield to stuff a running back or sack an opposing quarterback, it often is possible because the guys in the middle did their job, tying up blockers or even blowing up a double-team to open a lane through which teammates can run.
That SMU defensive tackle Pono Davis has excelled in that role comes as no surprise to those who know him. He always has been focused on those around him. As a child, he and his siblings slept on the floor of the home their father was building. When selecting a junior college where he could start his college career, he opted for Tyler Junior College in East Texas so he could be within a couple of hours of his brother, Paka, who had walked on at TCU (before later transferring to SMU). When Zach Abercrumbia transferred to the Hilltop from Rice, Davis watched film with his new teammate, helping him pick up defensive coordinator Kevin Kane’s system for Abercrumbia’s lone season at SMU.
When asked what he is most proud of in his own performance in three seasons with the Mustangs, Davis said, “that we won 10 games this year.”
Like players across the country who have played their last college game, Davis has spent the spring semester training and hopeful he will hear his name called in the NFL Draft April 23-25 or at least get signed as an undrafted free agent.
Davis has made a habit of overcoming obstacles. As a youngster he was a less-than-focused student who improved academically, earning a place in the National Honor Society and a 4.0 average at Tyler, finishing among the top students in his class at SMU (he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Applied Physiology and Sport Management). At the end of the spring semester, he’ll be halfway to his Master’s degree.
To read this story in its entirety, CLICK HERE.
Senior defensive tackle hoping work ethic, team-first attitude earns NFL opportunity
Playing any interior defensive line position is, by definition, a thankless job. When defensive ends and linebackers race into the offensive backfield to stuff a running back or sack an opposing quarterback, it often is possible because the guys in the middle did their job, tying up blockers or even blowing up a double-team to open a lane through which teammates can run.
That SMU defensive tackle Pono Davis has excelled in that role comes as no surprise to those who know him. He always has been focused on those around him. As a child, he and his siblings slept on the floor of the home their father was building. When selecting a junior college where he could start his college career, he opted for Tyler Junior College in East Texas so he could be within a couple of hours of his brother, Paka, who had walked on at TCU (before later transferring to SMU). When Zach Abercrumbia transferred to the Hilltop from Rice, Davis watched film with his new teammate, helping him pick up defensive coordinator Kevin Kane’s system for Abercrumbia’s lone season at SMU.
When asked what he is most proud of in his own performance in three seasons with the Mustangs, Davis said, “that we won 10 games this year.”
Like players across the country who have played their last college game, Davis has spent the spring semester training and hopeful he will hear his name called in the NFL Draft April 23-25 or at least get signed as an undrafted free agent.
Davis has made a habit of overcoming obstacles. As a youngster he was a less-than-focused student who improved academically, earning a place in the National Honor Society and a 4.0 average at Tyler, finishing among the top students in his class at SMU (he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Applied Physiology and Sport Management). At the end of the spring semester, he’ll be halfway to his Master’s degree.
To read this story in its entirety, CLICK HERE.