Some guys have the “storybook” path to the NFL: highly recruited out of college, invited to the NFL Combine and drafted. Not Todd Davis, he had to prove himself over and over again. Not only did he make it to the NFL, he stayed for several years and was a Captain for the Broncos Super Bowl 50 team.
Todd played high school football at a small school in California. His dad sent out tapes to everyone and anyone. Todd had his sights set on Stanford, until they told his dad they didn’t recruit in his area. That gave Todd all the motivation he needed. He took one of the few offers he did get and went to Sacramento State. He left as the school’s 2nd best tackler in program history (351 tackles).
The NFL draft came and went. The New Orleans Saints called because they needed “a body” for offseason training. Todd showed he was more than just a body and got noticed by Joe Vitt who promised he’d have a spot for Todd when training camp came around. Coach Vitt stood by his word.
The Broncos snagged him off waivers from the Saints in mid-October of his rookie season and Todd played several years in Denver, until he was released after a second calf injury. These days, Todd is in real estate development and raising three kids with his wife Zina.