By Maurice Bailey
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. – When you sit down with linebacker Deshaun Davis and listen to the story of his journey of becoming an Auburn Tiger, it's hard not to come away impressed.
It was a journey full of trials and tribulations along the way that he had to overcome in his personal life. Davis was kicked out of school at age 12, and the teacher told his mother, Constance, that her son was a bad kid, that she did a terrible job raising him and that he would be dead or in jail before he made it out of high school.
In May, Davis graduated from college.
Time and time again, people have doubted the senior linebacker. But time and time again, he proves them wrong.
Davis grew up in Mobile, Alabama, where he was a star player at Vigor High School, earning all-state honors as a sophomore and junior. Even then, some still doubted him, saying that he was too small and too slow to continue playing football after high school. That doubt only increased when a torn ACL cost him his entire senior season of high school football.
But Davis continued to pursue a college opportunity. And what drew him to Auburn more than any other school was the connection he had with his future teammates, the coaches and the fans before he ever stepped foot on campus.
"The fans, coaches and players were genuine," Davis said. "They liked me, and they knew my name and my story. On and off the field, I got a genuine experience."
Four years later, Davis sees Auburn as his home.
"[The Auburn Family] means everything to me," Davis said. "When I first came here, going into my senior year of high school, I never thought I would actually care about Auburn this much. I wasn't even an Auburn fan coming in. I was an LSU fan. For me, coming to this university and caring this much about it means it has to be special.
"It has allowed me to fulfill a dream of getting a degree and so much more. Auburn will always have a special place in my heart."
In his time at Auburn, Davis has seen and been a part of some memorable moments. The Iron Bowl from last fall stands out the most because of the way it ended with the fans rushing the field after Tigers took down No. 1 Alabama. Another one is the 2016 Clemson game. Yes, Auburn lost. But for Davis, it was his first start at the collegiate level and his coming-out game as he finished with five tackles and two quarterback hurries.
"Ever since then, I felt the college football world really started to look at me and my abilities through the play of the Auburn defense," Davis said.
Since that game, Davis has started 26 straight games for the Tigers. He led the team in tackles last year (82), and now heading into his senior season, he's become the leader for the defense or "a coach on the field," as head coach Gus Malzahn says.
What's his advice to the younger player as they become part of this Auburn team?
"Keep God first," Davis said. "For a lot of people, it's not going to be what you are thinking, especially when it comes to short-term things such as playing time. It's easy to feel like you're losing faith, but don't.
"Second, stay focused on your main goal during your time here. For me, I wanted to get my degree and then become an All-American in football. Keep your main goal in your mind. Never get wavered by people around you. There are a lot of distractions – everyone doesn't have the same goals as you – so stick around the right crowd."
Davis recently earned his bachelor's degree in media studies. He's not yet been selected as an All-American, but in the last week, he made the Butkus Award watch list and was named second-team All-SEC by the media at SEC Media Days.
Through it all, he just appreciates all the Auburn Family has done to him reach his goals.
"Auburn Family, thank you – but that's not nearly enough to say what Auburn has done for me," Davis said. "If I had to sit here and tell you everything Auburn has done for me, this interview would last a couple days. I didn't grow up in the best environment, but Auburn showed me a new experience and even people that I grew up with have gotten the opportunity to see a new side of life.
"Thank you is all I can really say, but it is never enough."
Maurice Bailey is a student assistant in Auburn athletics communications.