It鈥檚 at moments like this that Marcus Davis鈥檚 memory races back to joining his older brother Terrell Davis for the first time on the field with the Saanich Wolverines youth football team. Marcus was six and Terrell eight.
Now they will be in the Canadian Football League together with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after Marcus Davis was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 CFL draft held Thursday, 31st overall, by the Tiger-Cats.
The five-foot-10, 185-pound wide receiver joins sibling Terrell Davis, a converted linebacker with the Tiger-Cats since 2016, after an outstanding career as a multi-faceted offensive player for the Mount Douglas Secondary Rams and UBC Thunderbirds.
Marcus followed Terrell through the ranks, from Saanich minor football to Mount Douglas to UBC, and now to Hamilton. Both were named sa国际传媒 Triple-A high school football players of the year during their respective seasons with the Rams.
鈥淚鈥檓 still trying to take it all in,鈥� said Marcus Davis, by phone from Hamilton, where he was meeting Friday with the Tiger-Cats鈥� coaches and staff.
鈥淢y brother and I started off playing together as kids. And now, here we are together as professionals. It鈥檚 really exciting.鈥�
Marcus, however, will miss training camp and the early part of the season and won鈥檛 be seeing any action on the football field until September. He hurt his left knee after playing just two sa国际传媒 West games this past season for the Thunderbirds and missed the rest of the U Sports season. The season before, a torn ACL placed him on the sidelines after the fifth game of the sa国际传媒 West season.
鈥淭hat was tough luck,鈥� lamented Davis, about his injury woes the past two seasons after leading UBC in all-purpose yards during the Thunderbirds鈥� Vanier Cup U Sports national championship season in 2015.
鈥淚t鈥檚 taken a lot of patience and dedication to overcome the injuries. I am confident I can get back to my old self.鈥�
Hamilton clearly thinks so. The Tiger-Cats looked beyond the recent injuries and ahead to Davis鈥� sizzling speed as a wide-out.
鈥淏eing drafted was definitely something I had been looking forward to my whole life,鈥� said Davis.
鈥淏ut [because of the injury situation] I thought I would be taken in a later round. I did not expect to go 31st overall.鈥�
So, any words of advice from big bro about the pro game?
鈥淭errell said it sounds like a clich茅, but pro football is so competitive, that you have to give 110 per cent on each and every play,鈥� said Marcus.
There are so many sporting options on the Island. Football is just one of many avenues from which to choose. The siblings鈥� father, Alton Davis, was a Mann Cup-champion lacrosse player with the Victoria Shamrocks.
鈥淚 hope I can be an inspiration for kids on the Island in football,鈥� said Marcus Davis, who led Mount Douglas to three sa国际传媒 Subway Bowl Triple-A high school championships.
鈥淭he whole Victoria community is so great for sports and I had such great coaches in football all the way through and great volunteers on the teams that allowed us to be able to play the game.鈥�
The Davis brothers certainly made the most of it.
鈥淢arcus is the most dynamic and electrifying football player I have ever had the pleasure of coaching,鈥� said Mount Douglas Secondary head coach Mark Townsend.
鈥淗e is a special young man who is gifted with immense talent. But he is also very grounded and humble. Marcus has always had a tremendous work ethic and has demonstrated great resilience at UBC in coming back from injury. I know Marcus will have an outstanding CFL career, and am extremely proud of him.鈥�
The injuries may be only a hiccup along the path.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a crazy journey so far,鈥� said Davis.
At the pro level, it has only just begun.
