D2


EZ SU K THE SIDELINE


East Carolina QB took junior college detour before thriving again


BY LIZ CLARKE There’s a slew of gaudy statis-


tics that convey what junior-col- lege transfer Dominique Davis has achieved as East Carolina’s quarterback this season. Among them: The single-sea-


son school records for passing attempts (552), completions (358) and passing yards (3,699). The 45 touchdowns (nine of them rush- ing) that trail only the 49 deliv- ered by Heisman Trophy winner CamNewton of Auburn. But it’s the smallest stat — 3.3


— that makes Davis most proud. And it’s the first thing he cites when asked, toward the end of a recent telephone interview, if there’s anything else he thinks people should know about him. “I just want Boston College to


know I’ve got a 3.3 GPA,” Davis says. The swagger in Davis’s voice


was earned the hard way, via a detour through rural Kansas, where he spent last season rais- ing his grade-point average and honing his football skills at Fort Scott Community College after being suspended from Boston College for academic reasons. The humbling shift of fortunes


— going from starting quarter- back in the ACC championship game to junior-college signal- caller in a one-stoplight town — proved a turning point. Davis got on track academically, led Fort Scott to an 11-1 record and the national junior college title game and earned a rare second chance in division I-A football. On Wednesday, he’ll lead 6-6


East Carolina against 8-4 Mary- land in the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium. It will mark Davis’s sec- ond career start against the Terps (he took over as Boston College’s starter with three games remain- ing in the 2008 season) and his second start in a bowl game (the Eagles fell to Vanderbilt, 16-14, in theMusic City Bowl). The turmoil of bouncing from


one offensive scheme to another typically inhibits a football play- er’s development, if it doesn’t set it back entirely. Davis appears to have grown despite it, emerging from his circuitous journey only more confident in his ability and his calling.


TELEVISIONANDRADIO


NFL 8:30 p.m.


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NHL 7:30 p.m.


SOCCER 2:55 p.m.


NewOrleans at Atlanta » ESPN,WTEM (980 AM) Toronto at Memphis » NBA TV 8:30 p.m. Washington at Houston » Comcast SportsNet,WJFK (106.7 FM) Minnesota at Columbus » Versus English Premier League, Chelsea at Arsenal » ESPN2 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL


6: 30 p.m. Penn State at Indiana » Big Ten Network 8 p.m. 8 p.m.


Morgan State at Louisville » MASN GeorgeWashington at Ala.-Birmingham » WFED (1500 AM, 820 AM, 1050 AM)


8: 30 p.m. Connecticut at Pittsburgh » ESPN2 8: 30 p.m.


COLLEGE FOOTBALL 5 p.m.


Tennessee-Martin at Ohio State » Big Ten Network Independence Bowl, Air Force vs. Georgia Tech » ESPN2 “I could have easily said, ‘I’m


done with football and done with school [after Boston College],’ ” Davis said. “That’s just not who I am. I’mnot a quitter.” Nor does he take his opportu-


nity for granted, the time in Kansas having left him with an acute sense of the privilege of playing major-college sports and adetermination tomake themost of every snap. “He has a tremendous work


ethic,” says East Carolina’s first- year coach, Ruffin McNeill. “He’s really a smart player who studies the game in the film room. You want your best player to be your hardest worker and most pas- sionate.Andwhenyour best play- er not only thinks that way but acts thatway, it affects your whole team.” Says the 6-3, 215-pound Davis:


“With me, it doesn’t matter what system it is. I’mjust a very coach- able player. If you tell me what to do, I’mgoing to do it. I might not get it down the first time or two. But I’ll get to where the coach wants me to be.” A native of Lakeland, Fla., Da-


vis earned all-state high-school honors in football and varsity letters in basketball and track and field, specializing in the high jump. As a redshirt freshman at Bos- ton College, he stepped in for the


KLMNO 6


3


MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2010


WASHINGTONPOST.COM/SPORTS Join Cindy Boren to chat about the Red- skins’ 20-17 overtime victory in Jackson- ville on First Things First at 9:30 a.m.


Davis savors second act


Wednesday’sMilitary Bowl could serve as a preview of Maryland’s 2011 offense if Leach ends up as the Terps’ next coach. Said Ruffin, an East Carolina


alum: “I knewwhat I wanted [in a quarterback]: To be able to throw the football, but also have the quarterback as a [rushing] threat.” The Pirates’ offense puts tre- mendous responsibility on the quarterback to audible from a menu of options. Davis’s experi- ence at Boston College and Fort Scott gave him a leg up in that regard, in the viewofMcNeill and Riley. “In this offense, you probably


ask more of the quarterback than any in college football,” said Riley, a seven-year veteran of Leach’s Texas Tech staff. “It’s very depen- dent on him playing well and being able to understand what you want as coach. If he doesn’t play well, it’s very difficult for us to play well.” The coaches’ visit to Davis’s


PHELAN M. EBENHACK/ASSOCIATED PRESS


East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis set school records in touchdown passes (36), completions (358) and passing yards (3,699).


injuredChris Crane againstWake Forest on Nov. 22, 2008. His first college start followed, with Davis completing 12 of 24 throws in the Eagles’ 28-21 victory over Mary- land. After stumbling academically,


he could have transferred to a division I-A school and sat out a season. Instead he chose Fort Scott, where playing time was immediateandthe lessons plenti- ful.


“I learned to bemature about a


lot of things,” Davis said. “You have to put, metaphorically, busi- ness before pleasure. Put your schoolwork before football.” Skip Holtz recruited Davis to


East Carolina but left before the quarterback could enroll. AndMcNeill made a priority of


shoring up that commitment, showing up at Davis’s Lakeland home with offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley the day after being named to succeed Holtz on Jan. 21. In McNeill’s view, Davis had


the ideal skill set for the offense he wanted to install at East Caro- lina, derived from the scheme Mike Leach ran at Texas Tech. A 10-year veteran of Leach’s staff, McNeill led the Red Raiders to a 41-31 victory overMichigan State in the Alamo Bowl after being named interim coach following Leach’s ouster. So in an odd twist,


NFL


“What else can you say? Just add this to the list for the2010season.”


—Vikings defensive end Jared Allen on the team’s game in Philadelphia being postponed because of snow


JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES


Lakeland home convinced both parties it was a good fit. McNeill liked the way Davis soaked up information, noting: “He has big eyes and big ears.” Davis and his parents liked


McNeill’s message. “He told me he was going to run the team as a family,”Davis said. “It reallymade me feel like I was home.” Unable to take part in East


Carolina’s spring practice be- cause he wasn’t yet a student, Davis moved to Greenville any- way, his family footing the bill, so he could watch all 15 workouts, meet his future teammates and get comfortable in his new sur- roundings. Not long after fall practice


began in August, Davis won the starting job—not because he was the most proficient quarterback, Riley said, but because he showed the most promise as a leader, treating setbacks and success the same. “He handles adversity as good


as any player I’ve seen,” Riley says. “He has a natural maturity. He’s got a really strong arm. When he wants to cut one loose, he can. And he’s a deceptive runner.” Some of those attributes are


innate; others are the result of an unenviable journey — but one Davis wouldn’t trade. “If this wasn’t for me, God


would sendmea sign,”Davis said. “He hasn’t sent me that sign, so I’mgonna just keep going.” clarkel@washpost.com


WASHINGTON POST LIVEWITH IVAN CARTER 5 P.M. ON COMCAST SPORTSNET Post columnist John Feinstein and football analyst Brian Mitchell will be live in studio.


NORMAN CHAD Couch Slouch


Play for the Nets, and you could date a Kardashian


Newark/soon-to-be-Brooklyn New Jersey Nets a year or so ago, they were stumbling out to an 0-18 start en route to a near record-breaking 12-70 NBA season. They had all the curb appeal of a tollbooth on the Garden State Parkway crossbred with a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. One year later, the Nets still


W


stink, but—ooh la la!—there is a smell of Old Spice in the air and—forget curb appeal— this hunk of hoopland is oozing with sex appeal. These days, Prudential


Center in Newark looks more like Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Nets forward Kris


Humphries is dating sexy reality-TV superstar Kim Kardashian. Nets guard Sasha Vujacic is


engaged to sexy tennis almost- superstarMaria Sharapova. Nets part-owner Jay-Z—


sexy himself, I’mtold—is married to uber-sexy singing superstar Beyonce. And, frankly, the sexiest


appeal to these Nets is their new majority owner, Russian billionaire bon vivantMikhail Prokhorov. But we’ll get back to him later. So how did KrisHumphries


—a career 5.0 points-a-game scorer, the poster boy for NBA anonymity—land Kim Kardashian? Some people think there’s a Kardashian on every corner in L.A. Oh, no. There’s just a handful of them, and you need major coin and beaucoup swag to walk into a high-end BeverlyHills joint with a K-Girl hanging on your well-toned arm. The Sisters Kardashian—


Kim, Khloe and Kourtney— are fame perfectionists. Khloe is married to the Lakers’ Lamar Odom. Kim once dated Reggie Bush, the ’05Heisman Trophy winner who returned it earlier this year (luckily, he had kept the receipt). Kourtney and her sisters appeared on the Season 3 premiere of “90210”—they played themselves (who else were they going to play, the Jonas Brothers?). I mean, you can’t even keep


up with the Kardashians unless you’re watching “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and reading their recent autobiography, “Kardashian Konfidential.” Honestly, I don’t now how


Humphries does it—half his day he’s trying to make sure the humdrum Nets get better, the other half he’s trying to make sure Kim’s nail salon appointment doesn’t conflict with her tanning salon appointment. (Column Intermission: The


only from Comcast. DIGEST SOCCER


Berbatov liftsManchester United to victory Manchester United remained


in the lead in theEnglish Premier League by beating visiting Sun- derland, 2-0, thanks to two goals by Dimitar Berbatov on Sunday. Carlos Tevez scored twice to help Manchester City move into sec- ond place with a 3-1 win at Newcastle. Berbatov headed home a cross


by Wayne Rooney in the fifth minute. A shot by the Bulgaria striker deflected in off Anton Ferdinand in the 57th minute, giving hima league-high 13 goals this season. Unbeaten United stayed two


points ahead of crosstown rival City but with two games still in hand. City overtook Arsenal in the


standings behind Gareth Barry’s opening goal and two by Tevez. Arsenal plays fourth-place Chel- sea onMonday. United, which has only lost once this season in all competi-


Sunderland was overtaken by


tions, dominated the first half against injury-ravaged Sunder- land but had only Berbatov’s early strike to show for it. “We are coming into good


form,” United Manager Alex Fer- guson said. “We were solid at the back,which is a good sign for us.” Citymissed the chance to go to


the top of the standings at Christ- mas for the first time in 81 years when it lost, 2-1, to Everton on Monday. However, it got back on track against Newcastle. Rafael van der Vaart scored in


each half against American goal- keeper Brad Friedel as Totten- ham defeated host Aston Villa, 2-1. Tottenhamplayedmore than an hour with 10 men following the ejection of Jermain Defoe for elbowing an opponent. Marc Albrighton scored a late


consolation goal for struggling Villa. Defender Eric Lichaj and Friedel, both Americans, played for Villa.


Bolton,whichwon 2-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion despite being under pressure much of the game. Wolverhampton lost, 2-1, to


Wigan to drop to last place, with West Ham climbing out of last place on a 3-1 victory at Clint Dempsey’s Fulham. Blackburn lost 2-0 at home to Stoke.


COLLEGEBASKETBALL A spokesman at Seton Hall


said one of its basketball team’s senior guards was shot and wounded Christmas night when someone tried to rob himin New York City. The official said Jeremy Hazell


was treated at a Manhattan hos- pital and was released Sunday. The school said Hazell was


shot “under his right arm” in Harlem, where his family lives. The injury is not life-threatening.


PROBASKETBALL Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle


has undergone minor knee sur- gery andwillmiss the team’s next


game at Oklahoma City. A Mavericks official said Carl-


isle had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during a five-day Christmas break and was told by doctors not to travel for a few days. Assistant coach Dwane Casey


will lead the team Monday night against the Thunder. Carlisle is expected back on the bench Tues- day night at home against Toron- to.


HOCKEY New Mexico State Police say


the 18-year-old daughter of for- mer NHL center Pierre Turgeon was killedwhen the pickup truck she was driving crashed into the trailer of a semi-truck at an intersection. Police say Elizabeth Turgeon,


of Cherry Hill Village, Colo., died at the scene about 100miles east of Albuquerque early Thursday. Eric Garcia confirmed that the


teenwas the formerNHL player’s daughter. A passenger in the pickup was transported to University of New


Mexico Hospital with life-threat- ening injuries. . . . The Chicago Blackhawks have


activated forward Marian Hossa frominjured reserve and recalled goaltender Hannu Toivonen from their AHL affiliate in Rockford. The Blackhawks also put for-


ward Patrick Kane on injured reserve.


COLLEGEFOOTBALL The hits keep on coming for


the Georgia Tech faithful. Just when it seemed as if the


off-field issues surrounding the Yellow Jackets couldn’t get any worse, news of even more took center stage. Three additional players will


serve suspensions when the Yel- low Jackets (6-6) square off with Air Force (8-4) in today’s Inde- pendenceBowl inShreveport,La. Coach Paul Johnson said start-


ing outside linebacker Anthony Egbuniwe and backup defensive backs Louis Young and Michael Peterson will be benched for the first half of the game for missing curfew Friday night.


The announcement comes on


the heels of a troubling week for the program, after the Yellow Jackets had to sideline four play- ers last week for failing to meet certain academic requirements. Two of the four, defensive end


Robert Hall and linebacker An- thony Barnes, were seniors who already had graduated and were attempting to fulfill graduate school course work. Neither was a key contributor. . . . Running back Caleb King and


two other Georgia players will not play in Friday’s Liberty Bowl because of academic issues. King violated school policy by


missing his fifth academic-relat- ed meeting. He is the team’s second-leading rusher with 430 yards on 80 carries. Georgia also will be without backup corner- back Derek Owens and reserve offensive tackle A.J. Harmon, who are ineligible under NCAA academic rules. The Bulldogs (6-6) face Central Florida.


—Fromnews services and staff reports


Wall Street Journal— continuing its painting-by- numbers approach to sports— breathlessly reported last week that, in 163 college bowl games over the past five years, the team that traveled farther is 83-80. No word from the Journal on the difference between teams that checked baggage and those that placed their larger carry-on items in the overhead bin.)


hen we last checked in on the formerly East Rutherford/currently


Meanwhile, the mercurial


Jay-Z somehow hip hops between the mean streets and Main Street. Google his rap lyrics—I can’t print them here, not because this is a family newspaper, but because I wouldn’t print them anywhere—and you’ll find a trail of profane proclamations, coarse talk and graphic sexual references (and those are the love ballads). Yet Jay-Z remains a


Mainstream USA entrepreneur: Record mogul, club owner, clothing line, Budweiser Select kingfish, NBA part-owner. I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Beyonce were having dinner right now with David Stern (Dunkadelic- D?) on his way to helping President Obama with foreign policy. Anyway, for all of the Nets’


sudden sex appeal, nobody is steamier than their new poo- bah, 6-foot-7 industrialist Mikhail Prokhorov.He’s the NBA’s tallest and wealthiest owner.He’s the 39th richest person in the world and the second-richest man in Russia, behind some guy who couldn’t get Kim Kardashian on the phone if his life depended on it.


Prokhorov could. He graduated fromMoscow


Finance Institute (I believe they are the Ragin’ Cajuns) and he runs the company that is Russia’s largest gold producer (not the cheap stuff G. Gordon Liddy is hawking at 4 a.m.). But here’s the best part:


Prokhorov reportedly doesn’t own a cell phone, doesn’t have an e-mail address, doesn’t use Twitter and doesn’t sit courtside every game shouting at officials.He’s the anti-Mark Cuban—America’s new Big Sexy, and he now runs Couch Slouch’s favorite 9-21 team. Ask The Slouch Q. As a literate man, can you


explain to your semi-literate followers why 34-year-old Ryan Leaf is penning his autobiography in a three-book set? (David Gold; Beaumont, Tex.) A. I believe Winston


Churchill also wrote three volumes of memoirs, and his life wasn’t nearly as absorbing or riveting as Leaf’s. Q.Has any franchise ever


offered to compensate you if you agree to refrain from picking it as a Team of Destiny? (Dan Cantwell; Albany, N.Y.) A.Hey, pal, the Eagles are knocking on destiny’s door, and I’ve got enough Ben Franklins to fix the crack in the Liberty Bell. Q.How many times during a


televised football game do you think an announcer can tell us that a challenge replay has to be conclusive for the call to be overturned? (Darrell LaMotte; Butler, Pa.) A. An average of 11/2


times


per replay; for an NFL Network game withMatt Millen and Joe Theismann, multiply that number by 3.


You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just e- mail asktheslouch@aol.com and, if your question is used, you win $1.25 in cash!


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