Davis finds second home in the south
Tyler Davis has always told people that he lives in the north, but his heart is southern. Davis grew up in North Bellmore, New York.
He then spent four years playing football at the University of Connecticut. It wasn’t until last football season that Davis felt his heart was truly in it’s natural habitat.
As a graduate transfer Davis moved to Atlanta, Georgia to join the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to become the starting tight end for a program that hadn’t used the position during the Paul Johnson era.
Davis’ caught 17 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown in his lone season with the Yellow Jackets. His time at UConn was more productive in terms of statistics, he caught 47 passes for 500 yards and seven touchdowns in his first three seasons, but the year at Georgia Tech was an enlightening one.
Atlanta quickly became home.
Davis has always loved football. The southern part of the country’s attached sentiment that football means more in the south made it’s way to Davis in New York. Though a little skeptical at first, the year in Atlanta added a little perspective for the football in the southern part of the country.
“I always watched what football was in the south and I always wished that what it was down there was what it was like up north,” Davis said. “It was awesome to get down there and to see the passion that people have for the game. It was cool to see. I wish I were there for longer than one year. You can tell football means more down south. It was cool to experience it in my last year.”
Remaining in the south isn’t out of the question just yet. Now out of college, Davis has his eyes set on the NFL Draft later this month.
Before shelter in place orders were given and the scouting process went into a virtual format, Georgia Tech was able to host a pro day. During the workouts on the Atlanta campus the Atlanta Falcons had their eyes on the only tight end present during the workout.
Davis was able to go through drills while Falcons’ tight end coach Ben Steele looked on. Davis got the opportunity to get to know Steele a bit during and following the workout.
“He’s so knowledgeable on the game of football on techniques and fundamentals,” Davis said. “He was putting me through a lot of the drills and critiquing things here and there. He’s an awesome tight end coach. I was very fortunate to have him there to run me through my drills. It was really cool for him to be there.”
Having members of the Falcons’ staff at the pro day wasn’t a surprise. Davis did feel he walked away with a good performance and feels he showed that he was worth a look in the coming draft. At 6’4 and 250 pounds Davis ran a 4.64 40-yard dash time. Davis is also a former quarterback.
The Falcons invited him to their local pro day, which has since been canceled due to novel coronavirus. Even so, the potential of remaining in Atlanta as he moves into a professional career is intriguing to the New York native. The Falcons have a need for depth at the tight end position. Austin Hooper signed with the Cleveland Browns in March leaving a hole in the starting lineup. That slot is assumed to have been filled with the acquisition of Hayden Hurst in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Falcons still remain thin behind Hurst. Luke Stocker was cut in early March. The only other tight end listed on the roster is Jaeden Graham, XFL signee Khari Lee and second-year man Carson Meier. The Falcons could still use a late selection or an undrafted free agent slot on the position.
Davis would be thrilled for the opportunity.
“That would be a dream come true,” Davis said. “Atlanta is my second home. Just watching them the last year of being in Atlanta, you can tell they’re a first class organization in everything that they do. You can tell the love that they have for each other. Being able to talk to their coaching staff at my pro day just proved the point even more the type of organization they are.”
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