Get to Know Your Ole Miss Walk-Ons: QB Drew Davis

In what I intend to be a regular feature here, which is entirely based on me being able to remember* to do it regularly, it's time to get to know the players who can usually be found on the southern end of the standard depth chart, but on the northern end of the scout team depth chart. These players put in just as much work as the scholarship players while being smashed again and again by said scholarship players, yet probably can only be identified by family and friends.

*Chances: NOT GOOD

It's about time we change that because you never know when you'll need to know who one of these guys is. For instance, in the Georgia Dome last year against Boise State, I looked out at Ole Miss' defense and I saw a #23 running around at linebacker.

WHO, PRAY TELL, IS #23 AND WHY IS HE OUT THERE was my initial reaction, followed by HE'S NOT BAD BUT I'M STILL NERVOUS. Had I been aware of Ole Miss' walk-ons, I would've known that was Tayler Polk (now #24) and praised him for keeping the linebacker position afloat during that game.

Now that this intro paragraph has rambled into three paragraphs, let's get to the actual intro paragraph. The idea here is pretty simple. I'll fire up a random number generator, get a random number, find the walk-on closest to that number, and start the informing.

Our first guest, in what will surely be a series that sweeps the campus in packs of sevens and eights, is #16 Drew Davis, a junior quarterback from Bonita Springs, Fla.

(via olemisssports.com)

Who is Drew Davis?

I think you should take a seat before I reveal the first detail about him. No, it's fine, I'll wait. You good? Okay, Drew is the son of Butch Davis, who you may recall from, oh, I don't know, THE U.

While I care not about Miami, it does mean Davis has access to stories from his dad that didn't make the cut for one reason or another in ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary The U. That documentary was essentially two hours or so of awesome story after awesome story after 400 other awesome stories.

It is impossible for me to watch those two hours enough times. And if you haven't seen it, consider your life MISERABLY INCOMPLETE.

Now, looking at the year of his birth (1993!!!!!), Davis is probably too young to remember a good chunk of his dad's time at Miami (1995-2000). So what needs to happen in order for us to get access to these stories is Ross Bjork, or someone with computer skills and in an administrative position, needs to hook Davis up with a blog on the football website where he can just relay these stories to us after his dad emails them to him.

It's the best scenario possible. We get The U stories and experience Dad Emails. EVERYONE WINS.

Has Drew Davis played in a game?

He has not. Which reminds me, the last walk-on QB at Ole Miss to play might have been Seth Adams, who eventually got a scholarship, I think. Anyway, point is, the Orgeron years were unfun.

What is Drew Davis' role on the team?

Without having insider access, we'll have to assume it's an assortment of duties. Charting plays, signaling in plays (I would be unbelievably awful at this; I have sweaty hands just thinking about it), and being fed to the first team defense for its nourishment while they wait to eat other SEC quarterbacks.

Reminder that walk-ons were pretty good in high school

Davis was the starting quarterback for THREE years at his high school in Chapel Hill where he broke all sorts of school records. In his senior year alone, he threw for over 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns.

And let's not forget he once set a North Carolina state record with 43 completions in a game, threw for 488 yards and 5 TDs in another game, and was all-conference his junior and senior years. Oh, and he was an all-conference golfer for three years. NOW YOU'RE JUST SHOWING OFF, DREW.

Where can we see him this season?

If memory serves correct (and I will not look it up to confirm), but I believe home teams can dress out as many players as they want. Maybe. Or perhaps that just applies to non-conference games.

Whatever the case, you may see him on the sideline charting, signaling, or, if we're really lucky, carrying on Trooper Taylor's legacy by waving a towel like his oxygen supply depends on it.