Vernon Davis is a different breed of tight end then you would expect. He has the size of a linebacker, but the speed of a wide receiver. The tight end position used to be more of a blocking position, but recently tight ends are being used more as receivers since they are getting faster. Davis has turned the tight end position into a perfect balance of power blocking and incredible hands. He may not post the highest stats of NFL tight ends, but he is always a huge factor in every game that he plays in.
Vernon Leonard Davis was born on January 31st, 1984 in Washington D.C. At a very young age Davis was a gifted athlete. In junior high he was very involved in football and track and field. He was ranked as one of the best tight ends by Rivals.com and recorded school records in the high jump and the 100-meter dash. He was team mates with Joshua Cribbs who is now on the Oakland Raiders as a kick returner.
David attended Dunbar High School and was a stand out football player and continued in track and field. He was ranked as the #4 tight end in the country and was highly sought after going into college. As a football player he played tight end, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive end, and a kick returner. In high school he was named to the All-USA team, played in the US Army All-American Bowl, and was Gatorade Player of the Year. Davis was one of the most versatile players in the country and was ranked #3 by ESPN.
Davis decided to attend the University of Maryland and he was a studio art major. As a true freshman he played in every game and played offense and defense. In 2004, Maryland had him play exclusively on offense and was second on the team with 27 receptions and 3 touchdowns. In 2005 he made the All-American team and was a finalist for the Mackey Award. He led the team with 51 receptions for 871 yards and 6 touchdowns and was ranked as one of the best blocking college players in the country. So to NFL teams; he was the full package with size, strength, and speed. In college Davis was always in the weight room and set numerous school strength records. Davis benched 465 pounds, power cleaned 355 pounds, and squat 685 pounds.
In the 2006 Draft Davis was selected by the 49ers in the first round with the 6th overall pick. As a rookie his first NFL catch was a 31 yard touchdown reception against the Arizona Cardinals. His rookie year was cut short by an injury to his fibula but he made a big enough impact to be recognized as a dominant tight end. It was in 2009 when Davis really broke out as a super star when he hauled in 78 receptions for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns. Due to his amazing season the 49ers gave Davis a five-year $37 million contract making him the highest paid tight end in the NFL. In 2011 Davis was the main reason the 49ers went to the NFC Championship Game. In that game Davis had 2 touchdowns and the last one was the game winner.
Davis was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl and was also named to the NFL Top 100 players three different seasons. In his career he has hauled in 4,351 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns. He got the nickname “The Duke” from his father; and the two of them look identical. Like I said before, Davis may not put up the best stats in the NFL, but he is going to continue to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He is one of the key elements in the 49ers offense and he will be around for a long time.
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