Todd Davis (born May 17, 1992) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) and podcast host for DNVR. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Sacramento State University
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
and attended
Paraclete High School
Paraclete High School is a private Roman Catholic college preparatory high school in Lancaster, California, United States, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It was established in 1963. On May 24, 2011, Paraclete grad ...
in
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 173,51 ...
. He was a member of the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
,
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
,
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
and
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. Davis retired in 2021 at the age of 29.
Early years
Davis played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
for the
Paraclete High School
Paraclete High School is a private Roman Catholic college preparatory high school in Lancaster, California, United States, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It was established in 1963. On May 24, 2011, Paraclete grad ...
Spirits. He was named first team all-state small schools as a senior after recording 119 tackles, including three sacks.
College career
Davis played 45 games for the
Sacramento State Hornets
The Sacramento State Hornets (also Sac State) represent California State University, Sacramento in Sacramento, the capital city of the U.S. state of California, in intercollegiate athletics. The school fields 21 teams including men and women's ba ...
from 2010 to 2013, and finished his collegiate career ranked second in school history with 351 tackles (157 solo) in addition to totaling 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three interceptions, six passes defensed and one blocked kick.
In 2010, Davis recorded 21 total tackles as a freshman. In 2011, Davis finished with 96 total tackles averaging 8.7 per game, one sack, 5.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, and one interception as a sophomore. In 2012, Davis finished with 103 total tackles averaging 9.4 per game, 3.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for a loss, one fumble recovered, and two pass breakups. He was named second-team All-Big Sky and the team's defensive MVP as a junior. In 2013, Davis finished with 131 tackles averaging 10.9 per game, five sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, four passes broken up, and one block as a senior.
He was named a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection and second-team All-America choice by
The Sports Network
The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language sports specialty channel established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. Since 2001, it has been majority-owned by comm ...
following his senior year.
Professional career
New Orleans Saints
2014
On June 24, 2014, the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
signed Davis to a three-year,
$1.53 million contract as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.
On August 31, 2014, the New Orleans Saints waived Davis as part of their final roster cuts, but signed him to the practice squad the following day. On September 4, 2014, the New Orleans Saints released Davis from their practice squad.
On October 18, 2014, the New Orleans Saints signed Davis to their active roster.
On October 19, 2014, Davis made his professional regular season debut during a 24–23 loss at the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in Week 7. On November 12, 2014, the New Orleans Saints waived Davis with intentions of re-signing him to their practice squad. The NFL investigated if the New Orleans Saints stashed Davis in their practice facility in order to thwart a claim on the waiver wire by the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. The NFL later cleared the New Orleans Saints of any wrongdoing.
Denver Broncos
On November 13, 2014, the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
claimed Davis off of waivers and added him to their active roster.
On December 22, 2014, Davis earned his first career start after
Brandon Marshall
Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was drafted by ...
and
Danny Trevathan
Danny Eugene Trevathan (born March 24, 1990) is an American football inside linebacker who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky, where in 2010, he w ...
both sustained injuries. He finished the Broncos' 37–28 loss at the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
on
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
with a season-high eight combined tackles. The following week, he recorded six combined tackles and a season-high two pass deflections during a 47–14 victory against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in Week 17.
He finished his rookie season in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
with 22 combined tackles (14 solo) and two pass deflections in nine games and two starts.
The
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
finished first in the
AFC West
The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...
with a 12–4 record and earned a first round bye. On January 11, 2015, Davis appeared in his first career playoff game and recorded six combined tackles as the Broncos lost 24–13 to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
in the AFC Divisional Round.
2015
On January 12, 2015, the Denver Broncos announced their decision to part ways with head coach
John Fox. Throughout training camp, Davis competed for a role as a starting inside linebacker against Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall. Head coach
Gary Kubiak
Gary Wayne Kubiak (born August 15, 1961) is a former American football coach and quarterback. He served as head coach for the NFL's Houston Texans from 2006 Houston Texans season, 2006 to 2013 Houston Texans season, 2013 and the Denver Broncos f ...
named Davis a backup inside linebacker to begin the regular season, behind Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan. In Week 17, he collected a season-high five solo tackles during a 27–20 win against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
. He finished the season with 21 combined tackles (15 solo) and seven special teams tackles in 16 games and two starts.
The
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
finished first in the AFC West with a 12–4 record and earned a first round bye. The Denver Broncos defeated the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
23–16 in the AFC Divisional Round and the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
20–18 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 7, 2016, Davis appeared in
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) cha ...
as the Broncos defeated the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
24–10.
2016
Davis competed against
Corey Nelson
Corey Nelson (born April 22, 1992) is a former American football inside linebacker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.
Professional career Denver Broncos
Nelso ...
during training camp to be a starting inside linebacker after the role was left vacant by the departure of Danny Trevathan. Head coach Gary Kubiak named Davis and Brandon Marshall the starting inside linebackers to begin the regular season. They began the season alongside outside linebackers
Von Miller
Vonnie B'VSean Miller (born March 26, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and ...
and
DeMarcus Ware
DeMarcus Omar Ware (born July 31, 1982) is an American former football outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in th ...
. He started in the
Denver Broncos' season-opener against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
and recorded seven combined tackles and was credited with half a sack to mark the first of his career during a 21–20 victory. Davis made his first career sack on Panthers' quarterback
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He has played for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Super Cam", he is the NFL ...
for a five-yard loss during the fourth quarter alongside DeMarcus Ware. In Week 15, Davis collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (seven solo) during a 16–3 loss against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. The following week, he tied his season-high of 13 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 33–10 loss at the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
in Week 16. He finished the
2016 NFL season
The 2016 NFL season was the 97th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 51st of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 8, 2016, with defending Super Bowl 50 champion Denver defeating Carolina in the NF ...
with 97 combined tackles (64 solo), three pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and was credited with half a sack in 16 games and 15 starts.
2017
On January 2, 2017, Denver Broncos' head coach Gary Kubiak announced his decision to retire.
On March 7, 2017, the Denver Broncos placed a second round restricted free agent tender on Davis. On April 10, 2017, Davis signed his one-year, $2.74 million restricted free agent tender to remain with the Denver Broncos.
Joe Woods replaced
Wade Phillips
Harold Wade Phillips (born June 21, 1947) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He has served as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys. He has also serve ...
as defensive coordinator, but retained Davis and Brandon Marshall as the starting inside linebackers. Head coach
Vance Joseph
Vance Desmond Joseph (born September 20, 1972) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Previously he was the head coach of the Denver Bronco ...
named them starters alongside outside linebackers
Shane Ray
Shane Michael Ray (born May 18, 1993) is an American football defensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Missouri, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and ...
and Von Miller. On September 24, 2017, Davis collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) and made his first solo sack of his career during a 26–16 loss at the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in Week 3. Davis made the first solo sack of his career on Bills' quarterback
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Diallo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to the 2009 Orange Bowl as a Sophomore ...
for a two-yard loss during the third quarter. Davis was sidelined for two games (Weeks 8–9) due to a high ankle sprain. Davis finished the season with 82 combined tackles (48 solo) and one sack in 14 games and 14 starts.
Davis was voted by his teammates as the recipient of the 2017
Ed Block Courage Award
The Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to a player from each team in the National Football League (NFL) who are voted for by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a ...
.
2018
On March 14, 2018, the Denver Broncos signed Davis to a three-year, $15 million contract that includes $6 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3 million.
Davis and Brandon Marshall returned as the starting inside linebackers. On October 18, 2018, Davis recorded ten combined tackles (six solo), broke up two pass attempts, and returned his first career interception for his first career touchdown during a 45–10 win at the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in Week 7. Davis intercepted a pass by Cardinals' rookie quarterback
Josh Rosen
Joshua Ballinger Lippincott Rosen (born February 10, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, receiving Freshman All-American and ...
, that was originally intended for tight end
Ricky Seals-Jones
Roderick "Ricky" Seals-Jones (born March 15, 1995) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Texas A&M as a wide receiver and signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He ha ...
, and returned it for a 20-yard touchdown during the first quarter. In Week 9, he tied his season-high of ten combined tackles (nine solo) and made one pass deflection as the Broncos lost 19–17 against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. He started all 16 games in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
and recorded a career-high 114 combined tackles (80 solo), seven pass deflections, one interception, one touchdown, and was credited with half a sack.
2019
On July 19, 2019, the Broncos announced that Davis had suffered a partial tear in his calf muscle, expecting him to be out for at least 3 to 4 weeks.
In week 17 against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, Davis recorded a team high 15 tackles during the 16–15 win.
On September 4, 2020, the Broncos released Davis after six seasons.
Minnesota Vikings
On September 24, 2020, Davis signed with the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. He was placed on the reserve/
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
list by the team on October 30, and activated on November 10.
In Week 15 against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, Davis recorded his first sack as a Viking on
Mitchell Trubisky
Mitchell David Trubisky (born August 20, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted second overall by the Chicago ...
during the 33–27 loss.
New York Giants
On July 31, 2021, Davis signed with the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. He announced his retirement from the NFL on August 3, 2021.
Career statistics
Personal life
In 2015, Todd Davis married Zina Gregory.
References
External links
Sacramento State bio with college stats*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Todd
Living people
1992 births
Players of American football from Inglewood, California
American football linebackers
Sacramento State Hornets football players
New Orleans Saints players
Denver Broncos players
Minnesota Vikings players
New York Giants players