Davis was establishing himself when the injuries struck in 2009, but setbacks during the mini-camp in 2010 and Week two in 2011 made his football future uncertain. After all, no one did what he was trying to do.
All he did was come back as a more complete linebacker – a craftsman instead of a mere athlete, a man whose knowledge of the game increased for anything he physically lost.
It’s somehow fitting that all three of his Pro Bowl berths and both All-Pro honors came after the injuries – and it wasn’t just sympathy votes. Outside linebackers in 4-3 defense are often left behind because they do not have the flashy pocket numbers of their 3-4 counterparts, but what Davis did in his second industry was impossible to ignore.
He came back. All the way back.
And on March 11, he returns.