Stephen Davis
School: Auburn
Height: 6-0
Weight: 230
40 time: 4.54
Jon Drenning says:
Davis is a solidly built RB, with a good combination of speed, strength,
power, and balance, and would be ideal in a one back or I-back set. Last
season, he carried 180 times for 1,068 yards (5.9 avg) with 14 TDs. Davis
possesses exceptionally strong legs and thighs, has a gliding, short step
running style similar to Hershel Walker and Keith Byars, and runs with
good lean, making him difficult to tackle on he gets turned upfield. He
also will occasionally show a burst and an extra gear in the open field.
However, he lacks top end speed, doesn't have many shake and bake moves
and is not as effective when running parallel to the line. In some ways,
he is like the Rams' Jerome Bettis and does not always run as hard or
with as much authority as you would like to see.
Mel Kiper, Jr. reports:
Notes: Davis is a former USA Today high-school Player of the Year.
Two-time South Carolina 100-meter champion. Rushed for 2,448 yards and 32
touchdowns as a high-school senior. Sat out the 1992 season at Auburn as a
partial academic qualifier. Re-signed after qualifying in '93. Carried 87
times for 480-3 and caught 11 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown as a
backup. All-Southeastern Conference running back in '94, when he carried
221-1,263-13 and caught 12-92-0. Team's leading rusher for the second
straight year in '95, when he carried 180-1,068-14 and caught 10-128-3 in
Auburn's new, more pass-oriented offense. Had his knee scoped after the
season and could not work at the combine. Has a Herschel Walker-type
running style.
Positives: Outstanding size-speed ratio. Has straight-line acceleration
through the seam. Strong runner with good feet. Can step out of tackles if
hit low or bounce off tacklers and keep going forward if he is hit high.
Is becoming a more decisive runner and is seeing the field better. Shows
some initial vision and avoidability in the backfield. Is learning how to
use his blockers and is starting to see the big picture. Can run by people
and break long runs. At times will finish runs. Shows some cutback
ability. Is learning to find his way through traffic and at times will
make the tackler miss. Can be fairly elusive at times and is faster than
he looks, causing tacklers to take poor angles. Good mudder. Runs well on
off tracks, especially wet grass, because of his running style, which
features a short stride with feet low to the ground. Although he came out
in passing situations, he seems to catch the ball well. Has matured as a
person.
Negatives: Tall runner. Will get upright and narrow-based at times. As a
result, will go down if he is hit low. More of an I-formation tailback or
a one-back than a split-back-type runner, so he may have trouble if he is
in a split-back formation and must cross the field. Looks almost tentative
at times and does not always finish his runs. At times will slow down as
he nears contact. Average use of secondary blockers. Should break more
long runs than he does. Does not run pass routes well and as a result
comes out on third-down situations. Has a history of laying the ball on
the ground. Does not protect the ball well and does not do a good job of
switching it to the arm that is away from the tacklers. Is not a good
blocker for his size.
Summary: Has a lot of Herschel Walker-type characteristics. Will have to
be in the right offense to be effective, but he could be exceptional if
everything breaks right for him and he does his part.
USA Today says:
Combines tailback speed with fullback power. . .Elusive runner with low
center of gravity. . .Drags defenders for extra yardage. . . Hard-hitting
blocker on sweeps. . .Fourth on all-time Auburn rushing list, behind Joe
Cribbs, James Brooks and Bo Jackson, with 2,811 yards. . . .17 touchdowns
in 1995 tied school record. . .All-American Honorable Mention by UPI and
Football News. . .Consensus All-Southeastern Conference first team choice.
. .USA TODAY Offensive Player of the Year as a senior at Spartanburg, S.C.
High School.
RUSHING RECEIVING
STATS-GP/GS NO YARDS AVG. TD LONG NO YARDS AVG. TD LONG
1993 9/0 87 480 5.5 3 48 11 122 11.1 1 35
1994 11/11 221 1263 5.7 13 55 12 92 7.7 0 17
1995 11/8 180 1068 5.9 14 46 10 128 12.8 3 32