Tuesday, August 18, 1998

Davis takes own approach to life's battles

By Clarence E. Hill Jr.

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

MEXICO CITY -- First things first: Dallas Cowboys receiver Billy Davis is not Dennis Rodman in cleats.

Yes, Davis came into training camp this year with the blond Demolition Man hairdo that the NBA badboy made famous, and he has a horde of tattoos.

But that's where the similarities stop. Rodman's outlandish behavior is recently concocted public-relations schtick. Davis, however, has been "dancing to a different beat" for most of "my life."

"I think as long as I've known me, I've always done things strange, unbeknownst to me and everybody else," said Davis, who wore blond dreadlocks in high school, quotes Zen philosophy, meditates daily and dabbles in Tai Chi.

"I always prided myself in my own individuality -- not to stand out, but to stand apart."

Davis is battling eight-year veteran Ernie Mills for the starting No. 2 receiver spot.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," said Davis, who primarily has been a special-teams star the past three years.

"But I'm just going to deal with the opportunity that I have and exploit it to the best of my ability."

However, while acknowledging he wants the No. 2 job "real bad," the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Davis stops himself from getting too excited about the possibility.

"All I would be doing is setting myself up for disappointment if I did that," he said. "What I'm going to do is go out and just rely on my performance, my tenacity and my desire and let that speak for itself. After that, whatever happens, happens."

Davis' cautious approach is rooted in the fact that his football career is considered as nontraditional as his personality. Being an undrafted free agent who made the Cowboys as a rookie largely because of special-teams skills has put Davis at the back of the bus when it comes to NFL aristocracy.

Drafted players get more chances and more opportunities than undrafted players -- even though the undrafted player might have performed better. Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said it's not fair, but it is a fact of life in the NFL.

It's a story that Davis, who has seen his hopes of making significant contributions on offense dashed repeatedly, knows all too well.

Last year proved to be the most difficult. Davis had unquestionably the finest training camp of any Cowboys receiver, topping all NFL pass catchers during the preseason with 23 receptions for 403 yards and three touchdowns.

However, when the season started, Davis was relegated to the fourth spot behind Irvin, free-agent pickup Anthony Miller and 1996 third-round pick Stepfret Williams. Davis caught only three passes in 1997.

"It hurt," said Davis, an El Paso native who played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh. "I wanted to do more than be a Hall of Famer in the preseason. I was told I was going to get a chance to compete for the third receiver job, so it was frustrating and disappointing when I didn't play."

Davis, an avid reader, got through the frustration largely because of his expanded outlook on life.

"I work hard in everything I do, and I expect to get the residual of what I put into it," Davis said. "I don't know if this year will be different. All I can do is continue working. But my life doesn't end and begin with the starting job. This is just a brick into a long life foundation that I hope to build into a very large house."

Several off-season moves by the Cowboys give Davis some confidence that his house won't crumble this time.

The hiring of Gailey and new receivers coach Dwain Painter provided a fresh start, as neither came with any preconceived notions about Davis' ability.

Both coaches believe that Davis has the skills to become a solid NFL starter, and Gailey sees Davis' outcast background as positive. He compared Davis to Yancey Thigpen, the former Steelers All-Pro receiver who signed with the Oilers in the off-season.

"I kind of got prior knowledge of a guy who made his name playing special teams," said Gailey, a former Steelers receivers coach and offensive coordinator. "Yancey was our best cover guy and ended up being an All-Pro receiver. When a guy like Billy is fast and tough enough to play on special teams and showed skills during the preseason last year, you'd think he has a great deal of potential."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who thought Davis should have been the starter last season, agreed. He awarded Davis a three-year contract extension worth $2 million and included a whopping $1 million signing bonus.

"I'm appreciative of the Cowboys organization for doing something like that," said Davis, who made $196,000 last season. "There is a certain amount of pressure. But as long as I go and do the things I can do, things will fall in place on their own."

And to Davis' distinct beat.

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(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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