University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... Reggie Davis
November 04, 2015 | Football
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
Georgia receiver Reggie Davis knows he's almost always the smallest guy on the field. Listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds, the junior from Tallahassee, Fla., is lean, speedy and agile. He's also quick to laugh and smile.
Heading into Saturday's game against Kentucky, Davis is fourth on the team with 12 receptions, for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He's also made an impact in the punt and kickoff return game, including a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee.
During a recent quick chat, Davis talked about being the little guy, sports movies, chicken wings and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: If you could have played with or against anyone in history, who would it be?
Davis: I've got to play with DeSean Jackson (a star with the Philadelphia Eagles and now with Washington's pro football team), that's my favorite receiver of all time.
Frierson: What is it about Jackson? Obviously he's a heck of a player.
Davis: Really, his size compared to everybody else, it's kind of similar to my situation.I'm the smallest guy on the field regardless of who's out there and he's basically showed that it doesn't matter how big you are, you can play this game. That's why I like watching him play, and he plays with excitement and is a fun player to watch.
Frierson: Say it's the night after a game and you can pig out on anything you want, whether ...
Davis: (Interrupting) Wingstop. Wingstop. Wingstop. I love Wingstop. [Editor's note: Wingstop is a nationwide chain of wings joints with a bunch of locations in Georgia, but none in Athens.] If you haven't been, you should go. In the future I plan on owning a few, that's how much I love it.
Frierson: So you can just wolf down wings for an hour and keep going?
Davis: And keep going (laughing). I just love 'em. I don't even know when I became obsessed with Wingstop for some reason.
Frierson: I asked (fellow wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell) the same pig out question a little while ago and his response was, I just eat healthy. I asked him if that was because as receivers you guys have to stay lean and mean, but he said you pig out from time to time.
Davis: I eat anything, and about 30 minutes later I could eat again. It just goes right through me. I don't know why.
Frierson: Probably because between practice and weights, you're burning thousands and thousands of calories a day.
Davis: I eat all my vegetables, I eat all my fruit, I always eat chicken or steak or some type of meat or beef. ... But when it's time to eat, it's time to eat (laughing).
Frierson: When you think back to your high school days, is there a moment that stands out as just one of those pure, blissful moments that you'll carry with you forever?
Davis: I used to love doing kick return in high school. I really had a knack for it, really. I didn't dance around or anything, I just hit it and could run into the open field. I'm fast so it let me showcase my speed and I used to just love doing kick return.
Frierson: Do you remember the moment when you realized it was time to make a real commitment to the sport and began putting in the work that eventually got you to where you are today?
Davis: I didn't start hitting the weights and taking film serious until my junior year (at Lincoln High School) — that's probably why I'm so far behind (laughing). My junior year's when I finally realized ... growing up with me being the size I am, I never saw myself being at Georgia or and (FBS) school, really, so that kind of caught me by surprise.
Frierson: If you could recommend two bands or musicians that you really like but that a lot of folks might not have heard of, who would they be?
Davis: (Laughs) My type of music might not be what everybody likes to hear, but as far as a band, or a college band, I'm definitely going to go with the (Florida A&M marching band), the old FAMU Marching 100. That's a great band, there. (Here's an example: FAMU Marching 100 in 2009)
Frierson: What do you normally listen to?
Davis: Well, I'm from Florida so I listen to mostly Florida rappers like Rick Ross and Ace Hood and Trick Daddy. I like their music and I'm more of a rap, R&B and hip-hop type of person.
Frierson: If you could play any other sport for the Bulldogs, what would it be?
Davis: I would definitely try to go back to baseball. I used to love baseball when I was younger and I kind of stopped when I got to high school. There was something wrong with the program ... so that kind of threw me off. I was already playing football and doing track, so I had a lot going on already, but if I could I'd try to go back to baseball.
Frierson: I would imagine you'd be pretty tough on the base paths. Once you got on, you were probably a lock to take second and maybe third, I bet.
Davis: You can get paid for that (in the Majors) and I'd love to do that. But that won't happen.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite sports movie?
Davis: I think I'd probably go with "Invincible." I like Mark Wahlberg, so pretty much all of his movies are interesting to me. There aren't that many good sports movies out there, in my opinion — that aren't the same thing every time.
"SOUTHPAW" was pretty good, too. Maybe "Rocky," too. All those movies kind of copy each other, so I don't know.
Frierson: Do any of the football ones get it right at all?
Davis: No. The hitting in those movies, nobody gets hit like that every single play. I think they kind of overdo that, as far as being realistic. "Remember the Titans" was a good movie, as was "The Longest Yard." Actually, I might have to go with "The Longest Yard."
Frierson: The remake with Chris Rock and Adam Sandler or the original with Burt Reynolds?
Davis: (Laughs) Every time I click on it and it's the original, I change it.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
