arts & entertainment
Vernon Davis: the NFl Playoffs interview
S
an Francisco 49ers
tight end Vernon
Davis is a game-
changer who embodies the
ethos of leadership both on
and off the field. Picked 6th
overall in the 1st round of
the 2006 NFL Draft out of
the University of Maryland,
Vernon had already been an
All-American football star
in high school and a multi-
award winner setting records for speed,
strength and receptions.
In advance of draft day, he ran the 40-yard
dash in the fastest time ever for a tight
end. And at the time of his signing. he
became the highest paid tight end in NFL
history.
Ever a record breaker, Davis is a two-time
team captain and a two-time Pro Bowl play-
er who helped lead the 49ers to this year’s
playoffs. He is also the recipient of the Len
Eshmont Award as the club’s most inspira-
tional player and in 2009 tied the NFL’s sin-
gle-season TD record for tight ends with
13.
Born in Washington, D.C., on January 31,
1984, Vernon was raised in a rough ‘hood
by a doting grandmother he credits with
helping him navigate the shoals of that
treacherous terrain. Unflappable in her
commitment to raise Davis and his younger
siblings (4 sisters and 2 brothers) with her
values of hard work and integrity, she never
let them stray from her careful watch during
their formative years.
Davis also found
enrichment in after-
C eleBritY school programs, which
i nterVieW involved sports and
ultimately led him to
pursue a career in pro-
by Kam
fessional football. He
Williams
served as a mentor to
his younger brother,
Vontae, a cornerback
for the Miami Dolphins
who was also a first
round draft pick, making the Davis mem-
bers of an exclusive club of brothers who
have played in the NFL.
A philanthropist off the field, Vernon rep-
resented the NFL by traveling to
Afghanistan to spend time with U.S. troops
Here he talks about life
and about his team’s
prospects as the 49ers
enter the playoffs
on the invitation of the USO. Last year, he
traveled with his brother to Uganda and
Rwanda on a mission with PROS FOR
AFRICA.
Together, they oversee the Vernon and
Vontae Davis Family Foundation which
benefits a number of community-based
charities, including the A.R.T. Ambassador
page 6 The Seattle Skanner January 11, 2012
Youth Program and the
Sound Body Sound Mind
Football Academy which
provides scholarships to
deserving inner-city athletes
along
with
academic
instruction, health, nutri-
tion, life skills counseling
and college mentors.
Here, he talks about life
and about his team’s
prospects as the 49ers enter
the playoffs.
Kam Williams: Hi,
Vernon, thanks for the inter-
view.
Vernon davis: Hi, Kam,
thanks for speaking with
me.
KW: Congrats on a very
successful 2011 season with
the 49ers. You guys not only
won your division but
earned a bye the first week
in the playoffs. Do you
think the team will make it
to the Superbowl?
Vd: Yes! Everyone on our team is very
motivated, especially given where we’ve
come from and what we’ve been through in
the past.
KW: As a tight end, you have to both
block and catch passes. Which do you enjoy
doing more?
I like both, but I’d have to say I like catch-
ing passes more because of the thrill of it.
Vernon Davis
Don’t get me wrong, I like helping guys in
the passing game, too.
KW: Tell me, what it feels like to score a
touchdown in a packed stadium in front of
thousands of fans?
Vd: There’s nothing like going out on the
field on a Sunday and making plays in front
of a large audience of fans and having them
cheer for you. You can hear the cheers and
See daViS on page 7