JET PRESS EXCLUSIVE:One on One with LB Demario Davis

The Jet Press got a unique opportunity that we are going to share with you right now. Third round choice, LB Demario Davis, was gracious enough to sit down with us via telephone for a brief, exclusive interview. And here it is.

The Jet Press: Thanks for doing this Demario, we really appreciate you taking the time.

Demario Davis: No problem at all man.

TJP:So, it’s been a few weeks now of being a Jet, how are you feeling? You happy?

DD: Yeah I’m very happy being a Jet, enjoying every bit of it. Now just going through the process of learning the plays, learning the system. Enjoying every bit of being a Jet.

TJP: So to start, give the readers who may not be a aware a little bit of background, where you are from, where you went to school..etc.

DD:: Sure, I come from a small town, known as Brandon, Mississippi. I went to college at Arkansas State, that’s where I graduated from, and now I am a New York Jet.

TJP: What was the interest from the Jets like? Were the Jets a team you were hoping to play for?

DD: I definitely wanted to play for the Jets, there was no other team I wanted to play for. I got a great vibe from the coaches, the system, the area. I got the call (that I was drafted), and I was very excited. This was the only team I wanted to play for.

TJP: Describe for the readers what the feeling is like when you get that call, and your dream of playing in the NFL is realized.

DD: You get a rush of different emotions when you get that call. First, excitement. You are also excited that the draft process is over, and you have to get your mind right for the transition from the interview process to the next step. You have to get ready for the transition.

The system hasn’t actually been difficult to learn. It’s very similar to the system we ran in college, just the terminology is different. The system keeps the other team in a lot of confusion with all the different interchanging parts. The coaching staff does a great job of teaching it to us. It will be great to play with great athletes that make it flow. You can be very tough when you have speed and put pressure on the QB.

TJP: So has that been the biggest difference between college and the pros, the terminology?

DD: Yeah man. That’s the biggest thing, what the coaches call the defenses, the plays. How they refer to the QB. It’s very similar to our college system, just learning the terminology is the biggest thing.

TJP: Now I have read that you model your game after Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor. It must have been an honor to hear coach Ryan refer to you along with Ray Lewis, as well as current Jet Bart Scott. What was that like to hear, and how to you keep comments like that from going to your head?

DD: All I can do is be my own man. All I can do is be me. My whole life, I have tried my best to be the best me I can be. All of those guys are great linebackers, that I have great respect for. I have tried to model my game after them, all the while creating my own type of player. It’s an honor to be in the same sentence as those guys, as they are in a category by themselves. What I know is that I still have to prove myself. Those statements put high expectations on me, but nobody has higher expectations on me than I have on myself.

The main thing is for me, it’s not so much about my success, it’s about the Jets success. How can I make the defense successful, which will lead to the success of the New York Jets? My goal is to give the Jets fans something they have been waiting a long time for.(A championship)

TJP: What do you expect to learn from veterans like Bart Scott and David Harris?

DD: About being an NFL linebacker and what that entails. I’m going to learn by watching those guys play and in practice, I’m going to learn how to be a professional on and off the field. I will learn what it means to be a pro, and be well rounded in every day life. It’s a lot to learn.

TJP: I am sure you have heard about the Jets defense, and it’s reputation. At times last year, at least in the fans eyes, it took a step backwards. How are you going to help on the field, to bring it back to where we expect it to be? What are we going to see from Demario Davis?

DD: I don’t know what my role is going to be just yet, will find out more about it in mandatory minicamps. I am ready to contribute wherever needed. I have been told I will have a big role in sub-packages, especially covering TEs and backs out of the backfield. I will be blitzing a lot as well.

You have to understand, from what I have seen so far, it is a great defense, and has a lot of great players. There is not a lot to be done, maybe some tweaking, and if I can be a part of that tweaking, that will be great. The main thing is to be ready to contribute whereever I am needed.

TJP: There’s been talk of you on the inside and the outside. Do you have a preference?

DD: Nope, I can do it all. I have been blessed to have a career so far where I have been asked to do it all, and that has helped with my versatility.

TJP: If you weren’t in football, what do you see yourself doing?

DD: I see myself going back and being a high school football coach. I want to give back to kids and the coummunity. It’s about investing in lives. During the summer, I also plan on doing some missionary work.

We thank Demario Davis for taking the time, wish him luck in camp, and the 2012 season.