Davis hopes to be Slaton's backup
MORGANTOWN — Eddie Davis hopes to be in the mix for West Virginia University’s backup role at tailback this fall.
That’s assuming, of course, that All-America record-breaking junior Steve Slaton will be No. 1 again.
Davis, a 5-11, 185-pound redshirt freshman from Tampa, Fla., did get a taste of college football last year. He rushed six times for 65 yards on Sept. 9 in the 52-3 rout of Eastern Washington.
He did not see action the remainder of the season, however. So he apparently was able to preserve that year of eligibility.
“When I got on the field, I was in awe of the crowd,” Davis recalled recently. “I was just happy to get to play some. I didn’t think I played all that good, but I guess I did OK.”
In this spring’s Gold/Blue intrasquad scrimmage, he netted 33 yards on seven carries. “I didn’t get to play much, but it was good to get into the game,” he said.
“Looking at it now, I really could have played a lot better because I know the offense a lot more.”
He credits Calvin Magee, who coaches the running backs, for his being able to perform so well in that one and only appearance last year.
“Listening to what he said was probably the biggest positive,” Davis reasoned. “That’s really what you’ve got to do when you’re a freshman because you have no money in the bank yet.
“So you’ve got to listen to the coach. When he sees that you are trustworthy, then you’re going to get more time to do what you want to do.”
Like teammates, Davis is hard at work this summer preparing for the start of fall camp in early August.
“I do some work on my pass protection and also running plays,” he said. “I think I’ve got that down. But there’s always room for improvement.”
He readily admits that he has learned a lot from Steve Slaton and it has been very helpful in his development.
“Just watching him run the ball is exciting,” said Davis, who saw Steve Slaton smash WVU and Big East single-season rushing records while he was sitting out 2006.
“It makes me want to do the things he does. I knew nothing about Steve before I came here. But I’m looking forward to seeing run him this coming season.”
Davis expects a very competitive battle for the No. 2 spot behind Steve Slaton. “Who can get the plays down first and run them smoothly probably will earn the job,” he ventured.
Davis also could see action in the defensive secondary as a Mountaineer. He excelled on both sides of the ball at Tampa’s Freedom High School.
He gained 765 yards on 89 carries as a senior, and he was voted team MVP in track as well as football.
Davis is a business major at WVU.
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