University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Davis Adds To Preseason Honors
8/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Davis Adds To Preseason Honors
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Adding to an already impressive list of preseason accolades, Southern Miss senior linebacker and two-time All-American Rod Davis was named the nation's top defensive player on ESPN Sportscenter tonight. ESPN The Magazine, in a preseason preview, named Davis as the No. 3 overall player on its top 100 list and the No. 1 defensive player.
ESPN Sportcenter Anchor Dan Patrick named Davis No. 1 on the show's top 10 defensive player countdown. In ESPN the Magazine, senior writer Bruce Feldman tabbed Davis as the top defensive player in the nation in the magazine's college football preview.
Last week, Davis was named first-team All-America by SI.com and as one of the nation's top three inside linebackers by ESPN GameDay Analyst Kirk Herbstreit in his preseason player awards.
Davis' growing list of preseason honors has fans debating whether he is arguably the most highly preseason publicized player in Golden Eagle history.
Davis, a consensus preseason All-American and the Conference USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 12.9 tackles a game, 0.81 sacks a game and 1.8 tackles for loss per game last season. He also registered two interceptions, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He led Conference USA in tackles, solo tackles and sacks and was second in tackles for loss.
Davis, who received the 2002 Conerly Trophy signifying the top player in the state of Mississippi, was also a first-team All-Conference USA member for the second year in a row in 2002. He led Southern Miss in tackles (168), solo tackles (122), sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (23.5) and was ranked among the nation?s best in each of the listed categories, No. 3 in solo tackles, tied for No. 6 in total tackles, tied for 13th in tackles for loss and No. 18 in sacks.
