Austin Davis Highlights Football's Graduating Class
12/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 9, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - It's been a busy week for Austin Davis.
Of course, most weeks are busy weeks for college football players as they juggle the demands of being both a student and an athlete. Still, the redshirt junior has taken his final exams, watched game film, been to both Jackson and Biloxi to attend bowl socials for the school and sat down with the University's president for her new video blog.
In addition, the fourth-year junior will also be earning his undergraduate degree in business administration this Friday from the University of Southern Mississippi where he is also the school's starting quarterback.
The numbers that Davis has accumulated on the gridiron have been phenomenal, including 7,191 passing yards and 51 touchdowns pass over 30 career games. Those totals both rank second on the school charts and he needs just two TD passes to become the all-time leader in that category.
His stats in the classroom have been equally impressive which has helped him graduate in three-and-a-half years and includes him being a two-team Conference USA All-Academic selection for the sport of football. Davis has also earned the league's Academic Medal once, while garnering the C-USA Honor Roll three times. In addition, he has made the Dean's List once and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (3.0-3.49) five times while at Southern Miss.
Balancing the two has been difficult for Davis, but the signal caller helped keep his focus throughout the tough times.
"There were times that I needed a break but I just kind of pushed through it," Davis said. "So it has been nice to be able to get it done, so that now I will be able to get my master's and still be on scholarship. That is a huge privilege to be able to do that. I am going into sports coaching as a master's and interested in possibly coaching one day."
The Meridian, Miss., native is one of 15 football players expected to graduate which includes C.J. Bailey (Moss Point, Miss.), Roshaad Byrd (Meridian, Miss.), Kyle Clark (Paulina, La.), Justin Estes (Marietta, Ohio), Chico Hunter (Vicksburg, Miss.), Hendrick Leverette (Purvis, Miss.), Jonathan Massey (Pascagoula, Miss.), Michael McGee (Magee, Miss.), Johdrick Morris (Baton Rouge, La.), Martez Smith (Canton, Miss.), Korey Williams (New Orleans, La.), Justin Wilson (Taylorsville, Miss.) and Martevious Young (Alexander City, Ala.).
Davis understood at an early age from his most important support group what it takes to be successful in not only the world of athletics but academics as well. "I owe a lot of the credit to how I was raised and to my family as far as school goes," said Davis. "I am the type of person that if I am going to do something I am going to give it everything that I have, whether it is school or football. At the end of the day, I also understand that football is not always going to be there and at some point I am going to have to have that degree to go get a job and support my family."
Giving his all has not been lost by his coaches and teammates who repeatedly say that he studies more game film than anyone else on the team and that hard work has also paid off for him in his studies.
"School hasn't always come easy, I have had to work at it," said Davis. "I'm not the smartest guy in the world but I have been able to be successful. Southern Miss has had a lot to do with that as well, as far as being there and giving you all the resources that I have needed to be successful. As far as the academic staff with (Director of Academics) Ms. Stacy (Breazeale), (Compliance Coordinator) Mrs. Kristi Pierce and everyone there that has been there for me when I have needed something and I could always go talk to one of them.
"That is one of the things I love about Southern Miss. If you want to be successful, you can be."
Following graduation, the Golden Eagles return to the practice field later in the afternoon as they prepare for the Beef `O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg, which is set to take place at Tropicana Field and Davis continues to excel in his other field of study.