Sophomore Eddie Davis hopes to see more action at a cornerback position for West Virginia University this fall.
The 6-0, 180-pound native of Tampa , Fla. , appeared in only four games last season as a wide receiver. Coach Bill Stewart recommended that he be switched to the defensive secondary in spring practice.
So he will be battling junior Kent Richardson for the starting job at the boundary corner spot.
“I look forward to playing more this year,”
Davis said recently. “I played defensive back in high school as well as running back. But it’s different in college.”
He believes working at cornerback in the spring really helped him with his techniques. And since he had played some in high school, the change wasn’t that significant.
“I liked it when Coach Stew suggested that I try cornerback,”
he said. “Having worked at wide receiver last year, I know what a D-back did and what a receiver didn’t like him to do. So I think back and forth and do what I should do.”
Davis admittedly enjoyed practicing under assistant coach David Lockwood’s guidance in spring drills. “He’s cool and laid back,”
he said. “That’s why I like him. He tells you what to do and you do it.”
He saw limited action as a true freshman before being sidelined by injury. He gained 65 yards on 15 carries against Eastern Washington. As a senior at Tampa ’s Freedom High School , he gained 765 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Davis played in Florida ’s Hillsborough County East-West all-star game. He was his school’s MVP in both football and track.
He thinks this is going to be a special year for the Mountaineers. “We all are anxious to know who’s going to be on the field,”
he said. “We really want to do well, just like the defense did last season.”
Because he’s from Tampa , Davis is looking forward in particular to West Virginia ’s game at South Florida on Dec. 6 in the 2008 season’s finale. “When I go back home I can’t brag at all because South Florida beat us the last two years,”
he said.
“So I’m looking forward to being on the field down there for this year’s game."
