'Kicking To Victory': Caden Davis Looks For Big Leg To Carry Texas A&M In 2022
COLLEGE STATION -- Caden Davis hopes to pursue a career in real estate when his kicking days are over. Realtors often have a fast-pacing life, so translating his schedule from football to open houses seems like second nature.
Davis, who graduated Friday with a degree in Supply Chain Management, still has another season to prepare for. He'll hope to close games with his leg before closing the deal with a pen and paper as Texas A&M's newest kicker.
Seth Small departed the program following A&M's 8-4 season. His legacy at Kyle Field knows no bounds in front of the Aggie faithful. Davis will be the first to admit there's plenty to live up to in replacing one of the top special teamers' in program history.
"He taught me how to get better with my consistency overall," Davis said of Small Thursday inside the media center at Kyle Field. "I was more of a big-legged kicker coming in and his consistency was what made him so good. We both just continually made each other better."
Big-legged is one way to phrase what Davis is capable of. According to the junior from Coppell, Texas, he said he once made a field from 76 yards out. That's 10 more yards than current Baltimore Ravens Justin Tucker's record-setting 66-yard shot from last season.
Davis credited the wind for factoring in, but that doesn't change the fact of the power behind the kick. And that's his expectation going into the year for A&M. Kicks that perhaps were a bit too lengthy for Small won't be a problem for Davis — at least if the accuracy is there.
"I'd say I'm good within 65 yards right now," Davis said.
Kicks like this didn't come overnight. Before ever putting on a helmet, Davis strapped on a pair of shin guards and headed out to the pitch. A soccer player by trade, he'd serve as a forward growing up, often utilizing his speed and 6-3 frame to outrun and overpower defenders toward the net.
It wasn't until Davis began working with Kohl’s Kicking Camp that he noticed a level of consistency in accuracy and precision. He said the camp “kind of fine-tuned all that raw ability" that factored into him kicking a football straight.
"His range and where you call plays and where you're comfortable hitting kicks at, definitely does [help]," A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. "Over my career I've been blessed with some very good kickers ... it can definitely influence how you can call plays."
For years, A&M has been known for its special teams. Often referred to as "Special Teams U," the list goes on of the talent that has kicked and punted at Kyle Field that later translated to the NFL.
Davis could be next in line. So could punter Nik Constantinou, who picked up where Braden Mann left off in 2021. A native of Australia, Constantinou was the only player for A&M to make the preseason All-SEC first team after leading the conference last season by averaging 46.6 yards per punt.
He too is a fan of what Davis is capable as a downfield kicker.
"We've been getting to gel together a bit," Constantinou said earlier in training camp. "We're find out what groove works and [if we're] being a bit too quick at the start or going too slow. We're just trying to find that sweet spot."
The new Aggie special teams duo has time. Sam Houston arrives on Sept. 3, but A&M is in full swing of setting up for scrimmages and building its depth chart. Davis said he doesn't interact with Fisher much, but it's good that a coach isn't too concerned for his special teams.
Davis will have a chance to make his own memories, ones that don't involve him sitting in the stands as a fan. His father, an A&M graduate of 1999, made sure he was engulfed in the culture at a young age.
Davis attended games in his adolescent years. He can remember being a kid watching Johnny Manziel become folklore in college football history. He wants to do the same in front of over 102,000 fans on the regular.
Small's impact on A&M could best be defined by two games. The first came against No. 4 Florida in 2020, when he drilled a 26-yard game-winning field goal. The second came a year later when his 28-yard field goal led to the potential upset of the year over top-ranked Alabama.
Both games were played on the weekend of Oct. 10. Both scores ended 41-38. This year, the Aggies travel to Tuscaloosa that weekend to face Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide once more.
Could it happen a third time? Davis would be lying if he said it didn't cross his mind.
“It's definitely every kicker’s dream to be in that situation,” Davis said.
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