Photo Cred: Tennessee Titans
By Jim Gehman, Player Engagement Insider
From his last game as a Western Michigan Bronco on January 2, 2017 against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl to his first game as a Tennessee Titan in the season opener on September 10th against the Oakland Raiders, Corey Davis’ football life was akin to performing at the Grand Ole Opry with a stringless guitar and laryngitis.
After injuring his ankle while training, the wide receiver was unable to participate in any drills at the NFL Combine or at Western Michigan’s pro day.
“I wasn’t able to do a lot physically, but I was still able to talk to coaches and GMs and show them pretty much who I am as a person,” Davis said. “But the way that everything had panned out, the way that it happened, if I could go back, I don’t know, I don’t think I would change anything.”
Which is understandable considering Davis was selected by the Titans with the fifth overall pick in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
“It was a moment that I’d always dreamed of ever since I was a little kid,” Davis said. “A lot of emotions. Excitement, joy. To receive that phone call and hear (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodell call my name, it’s like everything, all the work that me and my family had sacrificed and put in, it was worth it. It felt really good.”
Davis’ injured right ankle was good to go when the Titans opened training camp. However, after only a few days of full-contact practices, his left hamstring was not and that caused Davis to miss the entire preseason. How’d he keep his confidence during the challenging start of his NFL career?
“I knew what I was capable of and I knew who I am as a person, meaning that I’m a faithful man. My mom and grandma always brought me up that way,” Davis said. “That’s where my confidence comes from, my Lord, and he never makes mistakes. That’s for sure.
“And the vets here like (wide receivers) Harry (Douglas) and Tajae (Sharpe), they were helping me out by just making sure I was keeping my head in the game. (The best piece of advice they game me) I would say, just the mental part of this entire game. How it can be draining and how you have to stay in it. Everybody talks about the physical part, the speed of the game and the size of everyone, but mentally, that’s the hard part.”
Davis was excited to be able to step foot on Nissan Stadium’s field for the first time in Tennessee’s season opener. And with all he’d been through, he felt it was a long time coming.
“Oh, yeah. It was about time. I got to go out there and play some ball, ball out with my brothers; it was a lot of fun,” said Davis, who finished the game with six receptions for 69 yards. “It was unfortunate that we came out with the (26-16 loss to the Raiders), but we learned a lot from that game and we’re going to move forward.
“I’ll remember everything about {my first game in the NFL}. Just running out of the tunnel and seeing some of the fans’ faces, and seeing all the players’ faces, and seeing how amped up they were. It’s a beautiful game and we’re just all blessed to be able to strap up and play it every single day.”