Jesse Davis – December 3, 2020
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Thursday, December 3, 2020
G/T Jesse Davis
(We’ve got My Cause, My Cleats this weekend. I’m curious what you’re going to be rocking on your feet for this weekend’s game.) – “Yeah, I did Team Never Quit. It’s Marcus Luttrell’s Foundation. It’s a pretty cool thing.”
(Any advice you’ve given the three rookies on just making it through a season? It’s obviously longer than college ball. How do you see their energy level? Obviously G Solomon Kindley has been dealing with a foot injury; but physically, how are the rigors of their longest football season going do you think?) – “Yeah, they’re doing good. Obviously injuries don’t really help but I just tell them one game at a time. You can’t really look ahead. You can’t really dwell on the past. The goal is to stay healthy and keep going.”
(The transition back to right guard, is it more like riding a bike? How difficult is it – the challenges of that position as opposed to tackle?) – “Yeah, I’ve obviously played there so it’s not something new but just re-training my eyes and re-training my footwork and obviously working in a tighter space. It just takes time to get it down; but I look forward to the challenge and wherever this team needs me, that’s where I’ll be.”
(I know DT Raekwon Davis plays on the inside so I don’t know how many practice reps you’ve had against him since his arrival but just in general, what do you view his strengths?) – “Yeah, he’s good. He’s a big guy. He’s long and tall – has good leverage, a good motor. He’s tough to deal with, that’s for sure. The way he’s going, I think he’s having a pretty good year. Overall, strength is probably the biggest factor that he brings.”
(I wanted to ask you about the run game issues. I’m sure you’re aware that you guys are ranked last in the league in yards per attempt most of the season. Last week, you guys had a successful four-minute drive where you killed all six minutes of the clock. What was different about that drive that’s maybe something that you guys can bottle and carry over to the final five games?) – “I think we just kind of made our adjustments kind of later than what we should have done. I think we’ve just got to be more physical. We’ve got to stick to double teams; we’ve got to be able to move the line of scrimmage. That’s the biggest issue we were having. Lately, everybody has been moving on us and bringing somebody extra, so it’s a little bit of communication issues, I think, than most things. We’ve just got to be more physical than them.”
(Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall was asked this week why you at guard and why G/T Robert Hunt at tackle as opposed to reversing. He cited your experience playing there. Is that something that the three of you guys have talked about collectively through, or is it just something where Marshall said “this is how we’re going to do it. We’re not really feeling a need to discuss it at this point.”) – “We haven’t really talked about it. It’s more upstairs than anything. Wherever they’re going to tell us to play, that’s where we’ll be. I mean it makes sense. You want to keep somebody with a communication-base, especially with these rookies and trying to get them understanding things. They’re smart enough, too. They know the game plan. They know what to do. That’s a question for them.”
(To go back to DT Raekwon Davis, when a guy is that big as a rookie and with his body size, you mentioned physicality as an offensive lineman. Can you just add a little bit more about the competitiveness that he brings, just knowing that he brings that physical stature there at the line?) – “Yeah, whenever you get a guy that big, it’s hard to move. It’s hard to get leverage. Obviously the low man wins, but he also comes off the ball pretty fast. He’s got the physicality nature of the game. So for him, it’s just getting his feet in the ground. That’s the main key of how to get an offensive lineman out of their block. He’s a good player.”
(You talked about working in close quarters. What is different about that as opposed to tackle and what challenges does that present? I know you’re facing more of a 300-pound guy as opposed to maybe a 260-pound guy.) – “Yeah, just getting your feet in the ground in close quarters. At tackle, you’re kind of used to long movements versus inside, you’re used to those short movements. So not stepping on your center or tackle is key. Just fighting in a phone booth. It brings it’s challenges but it’s also – you can lock up pretty fast.”
(Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall, the last two times we’ve talked to him, he mentioned you being the MVP of the o-line and probably the most important player because of your versatility. What does that compliment mean to you from him?) – “Yeah, that’s nice to hear. I do work hard at this position and try to balance it all or cross-train, whatever they want to call it. I just want to be on the field. The fastest way off the field is to tell somebody no, you’re not going to play the position. I enjoy the challenges that it brings. Sometimes it’s tough but it’s also good to keep it all on the line, playing left to right and right to left, and hopefully keep a future here.”
