Vernon Davis was one of the best tight ends of the 2000s. The versatile pass-catcher played 14 years in the NFL, and his 7,562 receiving yards rank No. 11 among tight ends all-time, while his 63 receiving touchdowns rank No. 7.
No San Francisco 49ers tight end has caught more touchdowns for the franchise (55), and when Davis decided to retire following the 2019 season, he did so a two-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro and Super Bowl 50 champion.
This upcoming year, Davis is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time, along with other former stars such as quarterback Eli Manning, running back Marshawn Lynch and kicker Adam Vinatieri. For Davis, to one day reside in Canton would be the honor of a lifetime.
“That would mean the world to me,” Davis told CBS Sports, “that would mean so much. I mean, I worked my hardest. All glory to God. I wouldn’t know what to do. When you make it to the Hall of Fame, that’s the pinnacle, that’s the highest you can go, there’s nothing higher than that when it comes to sports.
“Sometimes I look back on my career right now, and I don’t know how I was able to make it as far as I made it and achieve all the things that I achieved. It just seems so hard now that I’m not playing. Just the journey, being a kid making the leap from high school to college, then from college to the pros like that? And playing at such a high level? It’s one thing to just go and play for two years — I played 14 years at a very high level… But the Hall of Fame would mean so much to my family, so much to all the people that love me and it would leave something behind that can never be taken away.
Davis has been reflecting on his football career as of late. In fact, he just released his own memoir titled “Playing Ball: Life Lessons from My Journey to the Super Bowl and Beyond,” which delves into his upbringing, football success and new life as an actor.
I’ve always had the itch for writing a book,” Davis said.” When I sat down after football, I said I think I’m going to go ahead and do this. I went to my manager and said, ‘I really want to write a book, I need to get my story out there. I think I have a unique story and I can inspire a lot of people.'”
Davis did not have the easiest upbringing, but sports changed his world. As a tight end and safety at Dunbar High School, he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the District of Columbia, and emerged as one of the top recruits in the country. Davis chose to stay home and attended the University of Maryland, where his stardom shone on a national stage.
Davis caught 83 passes for 1,371 yards and nine touchdowns in three seasons played for the Terps, while setting school strength records at his position in several categories such as bench (460), vertical jump (40 inches), squat (685) and 40-yard dash time (4.41). Still, his biggest takeaway from his time in College Park was that he was in control of his destiny.
“I learned I was better than the world I was brought into,” said Davis. “I say that because, a lot of times it’s not about who you are, it’s about what you’re going to become. Who you’re going to become. And the way I grew up, it wasn’t the prettiest … it was a culture surrounded by drugs and violence. And that wasn’t who I was. I was brought into this space but I wasn’t that, I was meant to be so much more.”
Following his success at Maryland, Davis was selected No. 6 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the 49ers. This was surprising to many — including Davis himself.
“That was surprising to me. I knew that I had a lot of talent, I knew that I deserved to be picked at the highest slot, but I just didn’t know where,” said Davis. “I had an idea because I took a visit to the Jets, I went to Oakland and I went to San Francisco. And all three teams were highly interested. So I knew it would be one of those three, but I just didn’t know who.”
In his memoir, Davis also addresses the situation which led to the infamous Mike Singletary “I want winners” speech after Davis was sent to the locker room in the fourth quarter of a 2008 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. At that point, Davis hadn’t lived up to the “No. 6 overall expectations.” But the very next season, he had a career year with 965 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, which tied for the league lead with Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald. The following year, Davis signed a five-year $37 million extension that made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL at that time. Some believe it was when Davis was kicked off that field vs. Seattle, things clicked for him.
After 10 seasons in San Francisco, Davis was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2015, who won Super Bowl 50 that year. Davis then returned home, and played his final four NFL seasons with Washington. He retired right before Super Bowl LIV, and did so in a retirement home skit with Rob Gronkowski and James Harrison. Acting may have always been the plan after football, as Davis had already scored cameos in several different shows, and picked up a notable role in Wes Miller’s “Hell on the Border,” as Columbus Johnson. After football, he worked with big names such as Bruce Willis in “A Day to Die,” and Morgan Freeman in “The Ritual Killer.” Davis also starred in and executive produced “A Message from Brianna.”
“The thing that led me to acting is — first of all, I come from a family of artists,” said Davis. “And you know when you have something in your blood, it’s in you. It’s in your system. Art comes in all forms, whether that’s music, dancing or painting. And for me, I love all of it. I love art, I love immersing myself in it.”
It’s tough to sit down and tell your own story objectively. Without trying to people-please or forge a narrative you want everyone to believe. That’s something Davis said was the toughest part of his most recent project.
“Revisiting those moments, that was just tough,” Davis said. “Because some things I didn’t really want to talk about, but I said if I want to be true to myself and true to everyone who is reading this book, I have to tell everything. I can’t leave no stones unturned. And that’s what I did, even though it was tough. I had to go for it.”
