They call them the “dog days of summer.” That’s when you make it through the first week of NFL training camp, and you can begin to see the finish line as it pertains to breaking camp and getting into your daily routine that will carry over into the season.
Every day there’s competition, and, with everyone being a pro, on some days a player is the hunter and other days he’s the prey. The best players are known to get beat from time to time in individual drills and no-contact eleven-on-eleven drills. It happens, and how you deal with the adversity will go a long way towards determining your fate as a player.
This week, a video of Eagles rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis winning a rep against offensive lineman Cam Jurgens went viral.
In a post practice press conference, Davis, the reigning Outland Trophy winner (best interior lineman in CFB) had this to say about the clip.
“I hate it, honestly. I just feel like it shows — it’s very one-sided. You see one rep, but you don’t see Cam just blocking me, and getting me at practice, and getting me at the other reps. I always say looks can be deceiving, so one rep and it goes viral. Whatever, whoop-da-whoop.
“Cam is holding his own. He’s a very good player, and it’s just good competition.”
Na Jordan Davis is real pic.twitter.com/HiqHTVPUfj
— Rich Bussey (@Rich_Bussey) August 7, 2022
Davis is a very mature 22-year-old who was one of the leaders that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart leaned on during the Bulldogs’ 2021 national championship season; its first in over 40 seasons. The Eagles were reportedly enamored with his physical traits, and with good reason, but it was his maturity in team interviews that won over the team’s brass.
During the rep Davis literally drove Jurgens back about 10 yards in a tremendous display of brute strength. But everyone seems to be impressed with the play except Davis.
Davis Loves The Competition Aspect Of Training Camp
You don’t hear many players say they love the competition aspect of practice, let alone in training camp, but Davis isn’t your average rookie. The 6-foot-6, 340-pound grown man wants to be the best, and he feels competition can only help. You know the old saying “iron sharpens iron.” Davis is here for all the sharpening he can get.
“I look forward to competition. We’re in this business to compete. To go against him, it makes me better and it makes him better. To be able to go against each other every day is an iron sharpens iron mentality. I always look at competition as getting me better.”
"This is what dreams are made of." –@jordanxdavis99 on the excitement of playing in his first preseason game.#EaglesCamp | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/Vm4NILxN7J
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 10, 2022
Davis Is The Future Anchor Of Eagles Defense
The Eagles are led defensively by four-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection Fletcher Cox, but he’s 32 years old and although still very good, he’s on the downside of his career. Davis was drafted to be his protégé and eventual replacement in the middle of the Eagles’ defensive front. Davis will be part of an eight-man rotation on the Eagles’ defensive line in 2022 that’s predicted to be the heart and soul of their team.
Davis will get plenty of in-game reps to show he can be the difference-maker he was at UGA and can be at the NFL level.
