NFL Draft: Interview with New 49ers Defensive Lineman Kalia Davis
Though so many talented players are going to be taken in the early rounds of the draft, UCF defensive lineman, Kalia Davis, was a name worth keeping an eye on.
In just five games, Davis made 17 tackles, four and a half tackles for loss and one sack. He was named AAC Defensive Player of the Week once and AAC All-Academic Team honors twice. Though he redshirted his freshman year at UCF, that didn’t stop him from bringing his athleticism and energy in the next four years.
Davis went in the late rounds of the draft to the San Fransisco 49ers, but that won’t stop him from continuing to dominate on the field. His success stems from his love for the game at a young age.
“My older brother, he started it off,” Davis said. “I used to always use his milestones and do as good as he was doing.”
Davis went on to describe what the support of his brother meant to him.
“I always followed in his footsteps. Growing he played running back, you know, I wanted to play running back,” Davis said.
They both played the same positions, but as Davis was getting bigger, he switched over to defensive tackle. He also went to UCF, while his brother went to the University of Alabama.
Though he polished his football resume while at UCF, Davis faced a few bumps in the road. He came off of a torn ACL as well as had to work around the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Davis talked about how being emotionally, mentally and physically prepared is something “all football players will tell you.”
Though he faced some struggles, Davis’ support system helped him through it.
Davis looked at the silver lining of his situation, noting that even though he couldn’t do much physically at his Pro Day, he was able to show off how much smarter he is at the game. That and his athleticism are what other players should take note of.
“In college, I played seven positions,” Davis said. “Moving from linebacker to d-tackle, to keep my athleticism and then also gain a lot of power, I feel like that’s what sets me apart,”
This explosiveness is something that is becoming more common among young players.
“That just shows that the game is getting better as it goes along that’s what you wanna see,” Davis said. “I know the people who paved the way are very proud of these guys and I just know that when Micah gets older and I get older we wanna see the game continue to develop."
Davis has been focused on the positives of his football journey, as he came a long way to the position he is in now. In his first year of missing football, he stayed in shape. When he finally returned to the game, he won Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, he’ll bring his skills and determination to the 49ers for the upcoming season.
