Chauncey Davis, Photo courtesy of Kecia Y. Stovall
Football players must make split-second decisions routinely.
When Atlanta Falcons defensive end Chauncey Davis was approached by Atlanta's DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May to help with a program to stop bullying and promote self esteem with Atlanta-area children, his reaction was much like it is on the field.
It was immediate and it was a resounding "Yes!"
Davis had seen and heard the disturbing stories of increasingly violent bully situations in schools around the country. Sometimes the outcome of bullying takes place outside of the school yard and recently that hit close to home.
In April, an 11-year-old-Atlanta boy tragically took his own life, a move believed to be possibly linked to his inability to withstand physical and verbal abuse at his school, Stone Mountain's Dunaire Elementary School.
"It was just becoming a real problem right now," Davis said of his involvement in the campaign. "So, when they asked me if I'd like to get involved, I jumped to it. I didn't hesitate because it's something we need to solve."
Working with children and trying to be a role model are two of the major focuses of The Chauncey Davis Foundation, an organization focused on health and wellness for children.
For Davis, it's been a lifetime in the making. "Growing up, I didn't have anybody to look up to. A lot of stuff that I had to go through, I wouldn't have had to if I'd have had somebody," he said. "So when I made it to the NFL, I told myself that I was always going to go back, no matter where I'm at, to talk to the kids and let them know that there's a better way out of their situation."
A better way out of their situation includes events like the one Davis helped host on June 5. He believes the kids had a good time and went away with some positive information, perhaps avoiding another untimely death of an Atlanta child.
But Davis' work as a positive influence isn't limited to his community. Entering his fifth season in the NFL, the former fourth-round pick by the Falcons feels he's one of the veteran leaders of the team now.
He believes his biggest role as a leader of the 2009 Falcons comes through setting an example for the younger players--'younger' being a term more frequently used to describe the Atlanta Falcons.
Davis acknowledges the young players will look to him for guidance on and off the field. Through his own actions he can set a positive example by doing things the right way and have them follow that example or he can do the opposite. The opposite, as he says, will produce only negative results.
That opportunity to be a leader on a team for which he's familiar played a big part in the 26-year-old's return to Atlanta. He re-signed with the Falcons in March, following a courtship with free agency. But he contends that he never intended to leave Atlanta.
He's seen a lot of bad situations and coaching changes in his time with the Falcons, but he saw the culture change and attitude shift of the team with the arrival of Head Coach Mike Smith and his staff and knew he couldn't leave. He identified with the team's positive change and enjoyed the 2008 revival season and knew he wanted to continue to play for Smith and be a part of what's happening in Atlanta.
The former Florida State defensive end and outside linebacker also enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough season in '08 when he posted four sacks. That production led to Atlanta's four-year, $14 million contract offer and it has created what could turn out to be an interesting position battle in training camp at defensive end. One side of the Falcons' defensive line is secure with the veteran John Abraham, but with Jamaal Anderson's failure to put up the kind of sack numbers expected of a top-10 draft pick at the other end position, Davis has a chance to win the starter's role and build on last season's success.
He stresses that despite being part of one of the most-discussed player rotations among Falcons fans, he and Anderson remain friends off the field and their only desire is to push one another to get better. If there's one positive outcome of one player winning the starting role over the other, it's the expected improvement to come from both because of the heightened level of competition.
That kind of competition is what makes good teams better and serves to bring out the best in most players. It's also no surprise a Mike Smith-led team would feature two players who will fiercely battle for a position, but without all the controversy that can accompany such a high-profile situation.
Davis ultimately chalks that up to the overriding attitude of the team, specifically the members of the defense. He describes a team of players familiar with their roles and committed to filling them. Whether it's rushing the passer or stopping the run, everyone has a job to do and they all know the only way to succeed is to meet the demands of their assigned role.
Throughout the offseason OTAs those roles have continued to be defined. With the offseason activities set to wrap up on Thursday, the team must now wait for training camp to continue their work. Davis believes the team's defense will surprise people in the coming season, but he is quick to remind everyone that it's early. He and the team have high aspirations and they feel there's still a lot of work to be done.
"We're still working. We're going out there every day, trying to get better," Davis said. "We've got a long ways to go. That's why we go through training camp."
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