Zac Taylor has revealed his next high-profile addition, spending more than $700 million.
Domenique Davis’s football career as a defensive tackle ought to have finished in July 2020. The New York Jets dismissed Davis just before training camp began, telling him to quit trying to play through a serious injury that would ultimately take two years to heal.
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s undrafted free agents aren’t expected to succeed in the NFL. It’s not expected for players to survive two full years without playing football, yet Davis missed two extended periods of time at various stages of his career due to injury.
And yet, here Davis is, putting up a serious effort to claim the 53rd spot on the roster at Cincinnati Bengals training camp.
The defensive tackle for the Bengals, BJ Hill, said, “Oh man, that’s my guy, Dominique Davis.” His talent is evident every day. I believe he will be beneficial to us.
“Davis has appeared out of nowhere,” stated Sam Hubbard, a defensive end. But I am aware of the preparation and effort he made during the offseason.
Domenique Davis, a defensive tackle with the Cincinnati Bengals, is vying for a spot on the team during training camp.
Davis, a 27-year-old run-stuffing nose tackle, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 326 pounds. Although Davis finished the game with four pressures and used his pass rush up the middle to set up Bengals safety Tycen Anderson’s pick-six against the Green Bay Packers, his primary strength is his ability to maintain his ground at the line of scrimmage and stop the run.
From ‘late bloomer’ to years without playing football
Nobody in the Bengals’ training camp was given less attention than Davis.
“I developed slowly,” Davis remarked. “My weight dropped from 205 pounds at 5-foot-9 to 6-3, 250.”I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about these things. I was starting to get into problems. My mother then advised me in high school that I needed to find something to do.
It wasn’t until his junior year at Scotland High School in North Carolina that Davis saw a lot of playing time. He later made it to the all-conference team twice while playing for a team that made it to the state finals.
Davis remarked, “I didn’t have good grades.” “I was unsure about my plans for college.” Larger universities were considering me, but I lacked the grades.
Throughout training camp, Domenique Davis, a defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, has wowed his colleagues with his versatility.
Davis attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2014, where he spent the season as a redshirt. After that, he moved to Pembroke, where he was informed that he would not be able to play in the 2015 or 2016 seasons. His high school career finished in 2013, and between then and 2017, he didn’t play a single down of live football.
According to Davis, “maintaining motivation was the hardest part.” “I was clear that my goals were to support my family and play in the NFL. I was alone myself, really.
Davis’s football career extends to the NFL
In 2017, Davis played a supporting role at Pembroke. In 2018, he started to take off, and as a sixth-year senior in 2019, he truly attracted the attention of scouts. Only four Pembroke alumni have ever gone on to try out for an NFL team, and none of them have ever played in an NFL game, according to the Laurinburg Exchange. As an undrafted free agent, Davis was being scouted by NFL organizations because of his strong play in the Mountain East Conference.
In May 2020, Davis became an undrafted free agent and signed with the Jets. Then, Davis was waived before to training camp commencement after failing his physical examination.
Davis remarked, “I was trying to play on a broken bone in my foot.” It was difficult. That year, I took a break. I received my training at Pembroke’s location. I assured my agency that I was well. Teams were talking to me, but they were afraid to give me the go-ahead. I didn’t own any movies recently. I was previously considered for a tiny school.
One of the key members of the Cincinnati Bengals defense in the first preseason game was defensive tackle Domenique Davis.
Following a full 2020 football season spent recovering alone, Davis and his representative attempted to secure a spot in a 2021 rookie minicamp. A nose tackle from a tiny college who hadn’t participated in a game in almost two years attracted no interest.
Davis continued pursuing his NFL ambition.
Davis had the opportunity to give up, but he was unable to find another full-time position. He continued to concentrate on his football career. Taking care of his son and training were his top concerns. He persevered because he understood that playing football would be the most sustainable option for him to support his family in the future.
Eventually, a team—the USFL’s Houston Gamblers—called him back.
The rest is history, according to Davis.
In the USFL during the spring of 2022, Davis amassed 57 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Davis’ career was altered by the lessons that Gamblers coach Ty Warren, a former New England Patriots starter, gave him.
Davis stated, “He saw something in me.” “He really helped me gain real skills.” He could tell I was raw. He supported me on the field, in the film industry, and mentally. Someone is always working harder than you, therefore you have to constantly improve at what you do. He inspired me to work hard every day.
Following a stay in the USFL, Domenique Davis, a defensive tackle with the Cincinnati Bengals, saw a boost in his career.
Following his strong USFL play, Davis said numerous organizations began answering his agent’s calls. Davis’ agent informed him that the Bengals didn’t have as much depth at defensive tackle as some other teams that were interested in him, despite the fact that he had numerous offers for 2022 training camp.
For a nose tackle looking to make his NFL debut, Davis had a strong 2022 training camp. However, he was also worn out from returning to football so soon after the USFL season concluded. Davis played in two games last season while DJ Reader was out due to injury, and he impressed the Bengals enough to be added to their practice squad.
Right now, Davis is having the best football season of his life. This season, he will go off against Jay Tufele to be the Bengals’ fifth defensive lineman. Davis seems to be headed back to the Bengals practice squad in 2023, even if he doesn’t make the roster.
He’s finally going to have the opportunity to play football and see how good he can be.
Davis remarked, “I’ve been waiting for this my entire life.” It’s not a major adjustment when the time arrives because you’ve been prepared for it nonstop. I should be here already because I am 27 years old. I have a lot of work ahead of me. I am not as young as I once was. To continue working in this sector, I must put in more effort. I think I’m running late. I simply have to keep going.
