SANFORD, Fla.---
At UCF Gabriel Davis has been hard to miss. From his 6’3 frame to his bleach blonde hair. The junior wide receiver has helped make the Knights football program must see TV.
“Surprising,” is how Davis describes his UCF experience so far.
“I knew from when I was in high school my senior year coming here and watching all the games,” Davis says. “I knew we were going to be something special I just couldn’t put my finger on it yet.”
No one could have predicted two straight undefeated regular seasons, but at the same time every where Davis has been big things have followed.
As a senior at Sanford Seminole, Davis and the Noles made the state semi-finals. Now his alma mater is making a run again
“I love seeing the hometown succeed they weren’t as good as my senior year but they are a good team,” Davis laughs.
Good is an understatement. The Seminoles are off to an undefeated start thanks in part to a player that might look and sound familiar.
“This is my worst drill!” Jordan Davis yells as he goes through a ball security drill at Seminole practice.
Jordan is Gabriel’s younger brother and is committed to play tight end at UCF next fall.
“He’s my best friend we grew up together slept in same room,” Jordan says. “All his life he’s been working hard and I try to mimic that as much as i can.”
“We are close,” Gabriel says. “He knows he can talk to me about anything.”
At 6’4 Jordan is already bigger than Gabriel, but as a kid football didn’t come as naturally as it did for his big brother.
“I mean back when we were younger we never expected Jordan to play football or even be good at it,” Gabriel laughs. “Because when he did play he wasn’t good! My mom snatched him right out. She was like I ain’t going to watch you on the sideline.”
Behind every great man is an even greater woman.
“Here is this picture of Gabriel and Jordan in the Sanford Pop Warner league where they both started,” Alana Davis says as she goes through old pictures at her Sanford apartment.
UCF Fans can thank her for molding their star receiver and future tight end.
“You know I come to see them perform and not sit on the bench,” Alana says. “I was hard on them from the beginning and I think that’s why they are the way that they are today because that expectation was set a long time ago.”
“My mom has always been like a dad, she’s been the mom and dad,” Jordan says. “She’s been a single mother all of our lives so she’s had to play both sides, I know it’s hard for her. When I was younger I’d stare at the planes I wouldn’t even pay attention at practice wouldn’t be interested in it and she told me she wasn’t going to pay for me to play if I didn’t want to do it.”
“She’s definitely a tough woman,” Gabriel says. “She raised three kids all by herself. And that’s the woman of my life right there I love her to death.”
From Sanford Pop Warner to UCF Knights playing on the national stage. Alana couldn’t be more proud.
“They are all going into their own path and going in a positive direction so I couldn’t ask for a better outcome.”