After the 2018 season, Mean Green linebackers E.J. Ejiya and Brandon Garner declared for the NFL Draft and left the two starting spots barren for North Texas. The addition of new linebackers coach Galen Scott laid the tracks for a total turnover for the Mean Green in 2019.
Enter sophomore KD Davis and junior Tyreke Davis. The two Davis’ have served as a bright spot, according to head coach Seth Littrell.
“At times, both those guys have looked really good,” Littrell said. “We just have to continue to make sure we are consistent on the things we are attacking. I like both those guys and I think they are doing a good job.”
KD tallied five tackles in 2018 and Tyreke moved down from safety during the offseason. Heading into the 2019 season, Littrell was confident with the two new players.
“I felt like going into fall camp, we had a chance to be pretty explosive at the position,” Littrell said.
Through the first four games, KD leads the team with 41 tackles (14 solo), which is tied for eleventh in Division I football. At the middle linebacker position, Tyreke is on pace to surpass his 50 tackles from last year.
“I’m in my playbook even more, I’m watching the film even more because I know the defense relies on me and I rely on them, I have to give all I have every time I step on the field,” KD said
With this being Scott’s first year, he is glad he was able to capture the capitalize off of these two athletes right off the bat.
“I’m excited, they’re working hard and doing a good job,” Scott said. “They have been working hard for me, that’s all I can really ask. Just get them to continue to work hard, continue to grow and get better week by week.”
KD feels as if his relationship with Scott has grown beyond the stretch of turf in between the white lines.
“I feel like me and Coach Scott can relate a lot, I know he wants the best for me,” KD said. “He pushes me each and every day to be a better person and athlete.”
Scott gathered his coaching experience from Tulsa, Memphis and Virginia Tech and uses his knowledge to help out his current linebackers.
“That’s why you do this, you want to be able to reach and motivate kids to be the best they can be,” Scott said. “If I have some stuff in my past that relates to some kids, I’m going to use it and hopefully educate them and help them grow.”
The chemistry between both linebackers wasn’t immediately fostered on the field. What happens off the field is what brought the two together.
“We are so close, KD is like my brother,” Tyreke said. “We do everything together, I mean it’s the ‘Davis Duo,’ you know how we do. Everything just sort of picked up together on the field.”
Scott perpetuated that emotion and stressed that it’s something he likes to see around his linebackers.
“They are like brothers,” Scott said. “When one makes a mistake, they are at each other, and when one makes a great play they are fired up for each other. That’s how we want our room to be, we want our room to be brothers.”
This time last year, the Mean Green had given up 63 points to Southern Methodist, Incarnate Word, Arkansas and Liberty. This season, North Texas has allowed 106 points to Abilene Christian, Southern Methodist, California and Texas-San Antonio. Tyreke mentioned that despite this, the two linebackers are still taking everything one week at a time.
“Just getting better by the week,” Tyreke said. “We aren’t trying to look forward into the season, just take it one game at a time.”
Featured Image: Junior linebacker Tyreke Davis fights against an offensive lineman at the game against Abilene Christian on Aug. 31, 2019 at Apogee Stadium. Image by Jordan Collard
Article Originally Published by on North Texas Daily
Source: North Texas Daily
