Raekwon Davis
{{Short description|American football player (born 1997)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Raekwon Davis
| image = File:Raekwon Davis.jpg
| caption = Davis with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2019
| current_team =
| number =
| position = Defensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|06|10}}
| birth_place = Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 7
| weight_lb = 325
| high_school = Meridian
(Meridian, Mississippi)
| college = Alabama (2016–2019)
| draftyear = 2020
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 56
| pastteams =
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2020}}–{{NFL Year|2023}})
- Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL Year|2024}})
| status =
| highlights =
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2020)
- CFP national champion (2017)
- First-team All-SEC (2017)
- 2× Second-team All-SEC (2018, 2019)
| statleague = NFL
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Tackles
| statvalue1 = 144
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 2.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 =
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Pass deflections
| statvalue5 = 1
| statlabel6 = Interceptions
| statvalue6 =
| pfr = DaviRa03
}}
Raekwon Davis (Pronounced: RAY-kwon) (born June 10, 1997) is an American professional football defensive tackle..{{Cite web |title=Raekwon Davis (DT): Bio, News, Stats & more |url=https://www.miamidolphins.com/team/players-roster/raekwon-davis/ |access-date=April 19, 2022 |website=www.miamidolphins.com}}
Davis was selected in 2020 by the Miami Dolphins, for whom he played out his 4-year rookie contract. He previously played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, winning a national title in January 2018.
Early life
Raekwon Davis was born June 10, 1997, in Meridian, Mississippi.
He attended Meridian High School where he played football as a defensive lineman.[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DaviRa03.htm "Raekwon Davis,"] Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com He was not a high school superstar, logging just 10 tackles in 2013, his sophomore year.Riley Blevins, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-six-foot-seven-raekwon-da/143257313/ "Prospect Watch,"] Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Sept. 5, 2014, p. C1. Despite the relative lack of production and his lack of finished technique, the raw Davis made an attractive prospect for college football owing to his oversized frame, standing 6'7" tall and tipping the scales at nearly 310 pounds even before graduation.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-alabama-lands-meridian-pr/143255098/ "Alabama Lands Meridian Prospect,"] Jackson [MS] Clarion-Ledger, Aug. 12, 2014, p. C2.
Major football programs around the region were intrigued. The first to offer the three-star prospect a scholarship was the Alabama Crimson Tide, who issued a formal offer in June 2014. Mississippi State and the University of South Carolina were quick to follow, as did Ole Miss—who sought to convert Davis to offensive tackle.
At the end of July, Davis made his decision, committing to the program that had offered him first, the University of Alabama.
Davis' junior season proved more successful. The big defensive tackle finished with 31 tackles and 6 sacks in helping to lead the Wildcats to a 7–5 record in 2014.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-meridian-high-school-call/143263343/ "Super 10: No. 3 Meridian, 7–5 in 2014,"] Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Aug. 13, 2015, p. D1. Four of the team's 5 losses were by just 4 points or less, leading to a 2015 preseason No. 3 Mississippi state ranking by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
College career
Davis saw action in four games as true freshman at the University of Alabama in 2016.[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/raekwon-davis-1.html "Raekwon Davis,"] Sports Reference College Football, www.sports-reference.com/ His output was tangential to the team's success, adding just four tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble for the year.
The Crimson Tide would finish the season with a record of 14–0 before losing to the Clemson Tigers 35–31 in the College Football Playoff National Championship held in January 2017.
Late in the summer of his 2017 sophomore year, Davis was shot in the right leg and hospitalized with a minor injury.Khadrice Rollins, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200512101758/https://www.si.com/college/2017/08/27/alabama-crimson-tide-raekwon-davis-shot-leg "Report: Alabama Defensive Lineman Shot in Leg,"] Sports Illustrated, Aug. 27, 2017. According to the Tuscaloosa News, Davis had been standing outside a bar in the early morning hours on Sunday, August 27, when he was hit in the leg by a stray bullet, requiring hospital attention. Due to Davis' lack of cooperation with law enforcement officials, police investigation of the incident was quickly cancelled.
Less than a week Later on September 2, Davis played in the Alabama opening game against the Florida State Seminoles, and recorded a sack.Alex Kirshner, [https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/9/2/16247472/raekwon-davis-alabama-gunshot-shooting-injury "Raekwon Davis Got a ack for Alabama, Days After Suffering Gunshot Wound,"] SB Nation, September 2, 2017. The 2017 would be his best statistical year at Alabama, with Davis racking up 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 13 games played for the Crimson Tide.
The Crimson Tide would once again advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2018, this time emerging triumphant in overtime over the Georgia Bulldogs, 26–23. Davis snagged a crucial third quarter interception off a tipped pass from Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm in the comeback victory.
During his junior season, Davis received notoriety for punching Missouri Tigers lineman Kevin Pendleton during a game.Nick Bromberg, [https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-dl-raekwon-davis-apologizes-punching-missouri-ol-kevin-pendleton-143417863.html "Alabama DL Raekwon Davis Apologizes for Punching Missouri OL Kevin Pendleton,"] Yahoo Sports, October 14, 2018. Although multiple blows were landed, all captured on video, and a penalty flag was thrown, Davis was not ejected from the game. He issued an apology to Pendleton later in the night after conclusion of the game.
Again Alabama mowed down the competition, finishing the season with a record of 14–0 and advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2019. This time hard defeat would come, with Alabama demolished by Clemson, 44–16. Despite the bitterness of the loss, there would be a personal accolade for Davis, as he was named a second team All-American at defensive tackle.Miami Dolphins Media Guide 2023, Miami, FL: Miami Dolphins, 2023; p. 133.
Despite speculation that he would declare for the 2019 NFL draft, Davis announced that he would return to Alabama for his senior season.Tyler Conway, [https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2807101-dl-raekwon-davis-to-forego-2019-nfl-draft-return-to-alabama-for-senior-season "DL Raekwon Davis to Forgo 2019 NFL Draft, Return to Alabama for Senior Season,"] January 17, 2019. During this 2019 senior season, Davis appeared in 12 games, logging 18 solo tackles, 29 assists, and splitting one quarterback sack with a teammate.
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 6 1/8
| weight = 311
| dash = 5.12
| ten split = 1.78
| twenty split = 2.99
| shuttle = 4.86
| cone drill = 7.95
| vertical = 28.0
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 3
| bench = 24
| arm span = 33 7/8
| hand span = 11
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |title=Raekwon Davis Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/raekwon-davis/32004441-5662-6617-82da-e7d203db8ce8 |access-date=February 23, 2021 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1017403&DraftYear=2020 |title=2020 Draft Scout Raekwon Davis, Alabama NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |access-date=March 20, 2023 |website=draftscout.com}}
}}
=Miami Dolphins=
Davis was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, who made him the 56th pick overall.Josh Alper, [https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/24/dolphins-add-raekwon-davis-to-their-draft-haul/ "Dolphins Add Raekwon Davis to Their Draft Haul,"] NBC Sports, April 24, 2020. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on August 6, 2020,{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2020 |title=Dolphins Make Roster Moves |url=https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/dolphins-make-roster-moves-august-6-2020 |access-date=August 10, 2020 |website=MiamiDolphins.com}} and activated two days later.{{Cite web |date=August 8, 2020 |title=Dolphins Sign Ricardo Louis, Activate Others |url=https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/dolphins-sign-ricardo-louis-activate-others |access-date=August 11, 2020 |website=MiamiDolphins.com}}
Davis played all 16 games for the Dolphins during his rookie season of 2020, finishing the year with 40 tackles. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.{{Cite web |title=2020 NFL All-Rookie Team |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/nfl-all-rookie-2020.htm |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
On September 14, 2021, Davis was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in Week 1.Myles Simmons, [https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/09/14/dolphins-place-raekwon-davis-on-injured-reserve/ "Dolphins Place Raekwon Davis on Injured Reserve,"] NBC Sports: Pro Football Talk, September 14, 2021. He was activated on October 9, 2021.{{cite web | last=Poupart | first=Alain | title=Dolphins Get Additions for Tampa Bay Game | website=SI.com | date=2021-10-09 | url=https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-activated-dt-raekwon-davis-off-injured-reserve | access-date=2025-01-12}}
During his four years playing with the Dolphins under his rookie contract, Davis saw action in 63 of a possible 66 games, starting 48 times. He saw a great deal of game action, averaging more than 500 snaps per season, but most of his work was done at the line of scrimmage, with just 2 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 5 tackles for loss made over that duration.Joel A. Erickson, [https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2024/03/12/colts-sign-first-outside-free-agent-meet-raekwon-davis/72950265007/ "Colts Sign First Outside Free Agent; Meet Raekwon Davis,"] The Indianapolis Star, March 12, 2024.
=Indianapolis Colts=
On March 15, 2024, the free agent Davis signed a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts.J.J. Stankevitz, [https://www.colts.com/news/raekwon-davis-defensive-tackle-miami-dolphins-free-agent-signing "Colts Sign DT Raekwon Davis,"] Colts.com, March 15, 2024. The deal is set to pay Davis $14 million over its duration, with $7 million of that figure guaranteed.Joel A. Erickson, [https://web.archive.org/web/20240315200707/https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2024/03/15/colts-think-new-dt-raekwon-dacolts-think-new-dt-raekwon-davis-can-do-more-than-the-dolphins-askedvis/72989231007/ "Colts Think New DT Raekwon Davis Can Do More Than the Dolphins Asked,"] Indianapolis Star, March 15, 2024.
The Colts are expected to use Davis as a rotational reserve with starting defensive tackles Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner in 2024, a role which Davis was quick to embrace. "Playing with Buckner and Grove, I feel like it’s a great fit for me," Davis said at the time of his signing. "Since coming out of 'Bama, I’ve been playing the same technique, two-gapping [single-handedly taking on two blockers], and to experience a different technique, being with those two guys, is going to be great."
Under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, the Colts have typically played an "attack front" — moving interior defensive linemen upfield rather than sitting at the line of scrimmage to eat blocks in order to allow teammates on the second level to move up to make plays on the ball-carrier. In signing Davis, the Colts effectively gambled on his ability to make a transition to the new scheme.
On March 6, 2025, Davis was released by the Colts.{{Cite web |title=Colts release DT Raekwon Davis |url=https://www.colts.com/news/colts-release-dt-raekwon-davis |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=Colts.com |language=en-US}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| Bold
| Career high |
= Regular season =
| class= "wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Tackles ! colspan="6"| Interceptions ! colspan="4"| Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2020 | MIA
| 16 || 12 || 48 || 19 || 21 || 0.0 || 1 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | MIA
| 14 || 14 || 28 || 12 || 16 || 0.5 || 1 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | MIA
| 16 || 15 || 33 || 13 || 20 || 1.0 || 1 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | MIA
| 17 || 7 || 28 || 15 || 13 || 0.5 || 2 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | IND
| 17 || 0 || 15 || 7 || 8 || 0.0 || 1 || 1 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| colspan="2" |[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DaviRa03.htm Career] | 80 | 48 | 144 | 66 | 78 | 2.0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
= Postseason =
| class= "wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Tackles ! colspan="6"| Interceptions ! colspan="4"| Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2022 | MIA
| 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | MIA
| 1 || 0 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| colspan="2" |[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DaviRa03.htm Career] | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
References
{{Reflist|35em}}
External links
- {{twitter|raekwondavis_99}}
{{footballstats|yahoo=32726}}
- [https://www.colts.com/team/players-roster/raekwon-davis/ Indianapolis Colts bio]
- [https://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5411 Alabama Crimson Tide bio]
{{2017 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{Dolphins2020DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Raekwon}}
Category:Players of American football from Meridian, Mississippi
Category:American football defensive tackles
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players