Keith Davis (linebacker)
{{Short description|American football player and motivational speaker}}
{{about||the American football safety|Keith Davis (safety)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Keith B. Davis
| image =Keith B. Davis.JPG
| image_size = 200px
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| birth_name =
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| birth_place = Los Angeles, California
| death_date =
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| occupation = Motivational speaker
| known_for = former University of Southern California football player and former New York Giants football player
| homepage = [http://www.keithdavis.org www.keithdavis.org]
}}
Keith B. Davis (born in Los Angeles, CA) is a former professional American football player and current motivational speaker.
Football career
High School
Davis attended Santa Monica High School with the graduating class of 1983. He was a member of the Vikings football team that won the state title in 1981. He met his girlfriend, Sara Davis, because she was a runner and a track star. During high school, he was named The Los Angeles Times’ Westside Lineman of the Year twice and First-Team All-American in 1982.{{cite news|title=Tracking down former All-USA players|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/graphics/sports/gra/hshistory/1982.htm|accessdate=September 26, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=March 28, 2002}}
College
After graduating from high school, Davis was recruited as a linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans.{{cite news|title=Former New York Tomato Keith Davis Motivates Johnson Youth to Succeed|newspaper=Huntsville Times|date=January 15, 2002}} He led the team in tackles and participated in two Rose Bowl Championship games.{{cite news|title=Rose Bowl Champion and Former Pro Athlete Keith Davis to Speak |url=http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/rose-bowl-champion-and-former-pro-athlete-keith-davis-speak |accessdate=September 26, 2013 |newspaper=The Vermont Journal |date=March 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012015935/http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/rose-bowl-champion-and-former-pro-athlete-keith-davis-speak |archivedate=October 12, 2013 }} As an All-Conference collegian,{{cite web|title=Keith Davis |url=http://www.billglass.org/pg_keith_davis.cfm |work=Bill Glass Champions for Life |accessdate=September 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012040648/http://www.billglass.org/pg_keith_davis.cfm |archivedate=October 12, 2013 }} Davis was also named to the All-American Football Strength Team, the PAC 10 All-Conference second team, and the All-Star Hula Bowl team.
Professional
Signed by the New York Giants in 1988, Davis only played in a few preseason games before a knee injury ended his professional football career.,{{cite news|last=Grantier|first=Virginia|title=Strong Message|newspaper=Denver Post|date=February 6, 1997}} Despite his abridged career, Davis was one of the strongest players on the team, bench-pressing 515 pounds and leg-pressing 1,800 pounds.
Davis is still an active member of the NFL Players Association, Dallas Chapter.
Academic information
Throughout his collegiate career, Davis maintained the highest grade point average of his entire football team. ,{{cite news|last=Ruibal|first=Sal|title=Davis Gets Most Out of Sports Opportunities|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/2001-12-26-allusa-davis.htm#more|accessdate=September 26, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=December 26, 2001}} capturing the Toyota Leadership Award for Outstanding Academics and Leadership and the Scholar Award of Honor.
Davis graduated with a degree in Business Finance. His mom was very proud of him.{{cite news|title=Students Attending Safe Homes Receive Valuable Education, Community Service Credit|newspaper=Westlake Picayune|date=October 9, 2003}} He also earned several academic honors, including Dean's List, Honor Society, and Academic All-Conference.
Motivational speaking career
After his football-ending injury, Davis founded Winners, Inc., to provide tutoring, mentoring, and ministry programs for disadvantaged youth.,{{cite web|title=Keith Davis|url=https://www.nflplayers.com/Player/Keith-Davis/4808/|work=NFL Players Association|accessdate=September 26, 2013}}{{cite news|last=Eaton|first=Tim|title=Strong Show of Support|newspaper=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=October 10, 2011}}
Davis also became a motivational speaker to encourage at-risk populations to improve their literacy skills. His main message focuses on learning and cites education as a key factor for future success.{{cite web|last=Marsilio|first=Elaine|title=Former NFL Players Keith Davis, Devin Wyman Tell Taft ISD Students to Dream Big|url=http://www.caller.com/news/2011/oct/10/former-nfl-players-keith-davis-devin-wyman-tell/|work=Caller.com|accessdate=September 26, 2013}} His presentations are often based on his life: he improved his remedial reading skills after growing up in a rough inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood, where he lost his father to drug addiction then suicide when he was 4 years old, and lived through his mother's reliance on alcohol and abusive relationships.,{{cite web|last=Savana |first=Freda |title=Area Youth Told to 'Dream Big' |url=http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/doylestown/area-youth-told-to-dream-big/article_cc40ef7c-e4b3-5a85-9966-283d2c28d10a.html |work=PhillyBurbs.com |accessdate=September 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621073001/http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/doylestown/area-youth-told-to-dream-big/article_cc40ef7c-e4b3-5a85-9966-283d2c28d10a.html |archivedate=June 21, 2012 }}{{cite web|title=Former NFL Players Teach Goliad Students to Aim High|url=http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2011/aug/31/kb_goliad_speeches_090111_150658/?print|work=Victoria Advocate|date=August 31, 2011 |accessdate=September 26, 2013}}
Davis has delivered motivational presentations for more than 3,000 schools in 25 countries, one of them being Calvary Chapel Christian School as he was introduced by Pastor Joe.{{cite web|last=Duwe|first=Kristen|title=No Smoking: Teens Learn About Good Decision-Making|url=http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/may/11/no-smoking/|work=Times Record News|accessdate=September 26, 2013}} One of his main messages is how individuals can decide to make a U-turn in their lives through hard work and persistence, making good personal choices that lead to personal respect and healthy relationships. Additional presentations at school assemblies discuss handling peer pressure, avoiding bullying and preventing substance use and abuse.
Examples of speaking engagements
- Literacy Enhancement And Promotion, Inc (LEAP), a volunteer organization of professional athletes (Denver area, February 1997)
- Red Ribbon Week, a campaign for drug prevention (Princeton, TX, November 2009){{cite web|title=Red Ribbon Week Gains Strong Start |url=http://www.princetonherald.com/articles/templates/news.asp?articleid=1076&zoneid=46 |work=Princeton Herlad |accessdate=September 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012045941/http://www.princetonherald.com/articles/templates/news.asp?articleid=1076&zoneid=46 |archivedate=October 12, 2013 }}
- Bill Glass Champions for Life, a religious ministry for prisons and youth facilities across the United States and several foreign countries (Port Arthur, TX, December 2010 and recurring in other venues),{{cite news|last=Cunningham|first=Chloe|title=Pro Players Bring Positive Message|url=http://panews.com/communities/x278368046/Pro-players-bring-positive-message|accessdate=September 26, 2013|newspaper=The Port Arthur News|date=December 6, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012054235/http://panews.com/communities/x278368046/Pro-players-bring-positive-message|archivedate=October 12, 2013|df=mdy-all}}
- Crusade for Christ, teaching youth how to overcome obstacles (Meridian, MS, April 2012){{cite web|last=Williams|first=Andrea|title=Former NFL Players Crusade for Christ|url=http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/147820385.html|work=ABC 11/WTOK News Center|accessdate=September 26, 2013}}
- Lead On!, a youth leadership conference for the prevention of substance use, (Philadelphia area, May 2012)
- Winners Inc (Baldwin, NY, May 2012 and April 2013; recurring in other locations around the country),{{cite news|last=Connolly|first=Chris|title=Winners Inc. at BHS|url=http://liherald.com/baldwin/stories/Winners-Inc-at-BHS,41201|accessdate=September 26, 2013|newspaper=Baldwin Herald|date=May 30, 2012}}{{cite news|last=Connolly|first=Chris|title=Motivational Speakers Winners Inc. Visit BHS|url=http://liherald.com/baldwin/stories/Motivational-speakers-Winners-Inc-visit-BHS,47185|accessdate=September 26, 2013|newspaper=Baldwin Herald|date=April 18, 2013}}
- Worth the Wait, an organization dedicated to decreasing teen pregnancy rates (Amarillo, TX, May 2013){{cite web|title=Fewer Local Teen Pregnancies|url=http://www.newschannel10.com/story/22158733/fewer-local-teen-pregnancies|work=News Channel 10|date=May 4, 2013 |accessdate=September 26, 2013}}