It's Night and Davis for Huskies' Second-Year Defensive Tackle

The Minnesota product is much more involved in his second spring football.

Sometimes we lose sight of the fact a good number of these University of Washington football players are just 18- or 19-year-old kids, dealing with being a long ways from home and not always in their comfort zone.

Take Elinneus Davis, for instance.

A year ago, this freshman defensive tackle from Minnesota arrived for spring football practice as an early enrollee, nursing some sort of injury that kept him on the sideline, and he often was spotted shuffling in and out of Husky Stadium all by himself.

At the Sugar Bowl, Davis didn't necessarily sound like he was long for Montlake when he offered a frank assessment of where his largely inactive first college football career stood at the time.

"This offseason is going to determine if I play or not, to be honest," Davis said in New Orleans. "I never want to be handed anything. I definitely want to work for it and, if I deserve it, then hopefully I'll get it. I need everything, to be honest. I feel like I've got a lot of room to grow."

Today, Davis is a former kid and a new man. Whereas last season he was largely out of shape and unsure of himself, he looks noticeably trimmer, upbeat and fully engaged with the Huskies.

Elinneus Davis heads for the locker room after a UW practice.

Dan Raley

This past Saturday, the 6-foot-2, 322-pound player appeared surprisingly mobile as he jogged onto the field for the UW's ninth spring football practice, greeting and being greeted by teammates along the way.

Davis next dropped down on one knee, holding on tight to his helmet with his left hand, and he presumably said a prayer. Football-wise, his private moments are being answered.

Elinneus Davis, with his padded helmet perched on his head, makes the slow walk to the showers.

Dan Raley

As music played loudly to get players moving and interested in practice, he jumped in line for UW defensive-tackle drills and did a little impromptu dance while waiting his turn. He was fully involved rather than be a spectator as before.

Into the scrimmage segments of this practice, Davis pulled plenty of snaps coming out of a stance with the No. 2 defense. He was as involved as all things Huskies as much as he was disengaged the previous spring.

In just a few months, he was night and Davis.

He was proof that teenagers in pads and helmets, with a little patience and growth, can turn into men on the football field almost overnight.

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