move-again-ar-293994

Football
Clifton Davis knows all about moving away. He did it several times during the first half of his life. That comes with the territory for the child of a member of the U.S. Army.

He also has an idea of how to handle things on his own, with his father having to spend so much time away from home on military bases around the world.

So this fall when the recent Central High grad shifts to Kentucky Christian University, NAIA school located in Grayson, Ky. that signed the offensive lineman last month, he should have the tools to handle the transition.

“It means a lot to me,” Davis said of signing. “It’s pretty big for me and my family, me being the first in my immediate family to go to college. I want to make my parents proud, especially with it being hard, my father being away in the military all the time, me trying to do step up and do things around the house.”

Davis’ father, Master Sergeant Clifton Davis Sr., has been enlisted in the military for over 20 years. Clifton Jr. was born in Hinesville, Ga. while his father was stationed at Fort Stewart.

During his early years, Davis lived in Palatka as well as Gefahr, Germany, before his father became a recruiter in Hernando County.

However, the elder Davis was eventually reassigned to Korea. Clifton Jr., his mother and older sister stayed behind in Spring Hill, where Davis said he has lived the past 9-10 years.

Meanwhile, his father bounced back-and-forth between Korea and Iraq, spent two years stationed in Seattle and is now in Louisiana.

“He made it to one game last year, our homecoming game,” Davis said of his father. “That was his first time ever seeing me play in any sport.”

With his father called to duty, Davis had to learn how to pitch in and help fill the void.

“It’s been hard on me,” Davis said. “It also helped me grow and take on more responsibility. It helped me mature a lot over the years. It was hard going through sports without having that male influence on my life. I had to do a lot on my own in terms of athletics.”

Opportunity arrives

Football didn’t even come into the equation until his eighth-grade year, when his mother’s work schedule with the Florida Highway Patrol changed, allowing her to provide him transportation after practice.

Then West Hernando Head Coach Genard Hudson immediately stuck Davis on the offensive line. It’s the position where he has stayed, mostly as a tackle though he saw time at guard and center during his three-year varsity career at Central.

Tackle is where he figures to play at Kentucky Christian, utilizing his 6-foot-3, 280-pound frame to keep defenders off his quarterback.

“I really like the offense, it’s a zone spread,” Davis said. “A lot of coaches think my best aspect is my pass protection. For a big guy I’ve got good footwork and good speed. Shielding off the defensive end is not as hard for me as most guys.”

The scheme combined with the level of interest shown by the coaches convinced Davis that he wanted to attend Kentucky Christian. But he credited his offensive line coach at Central, Dustin Kupcik, for pushing him to this point.

“It definitely started last year, my junior year,” Davis said. “Coach Kupcik, the first thing he said when he saw me is I can play at the next level. He was always there pushing me, not letting me forget I could do it. I got confidence and I started believing I could do it, too.”

“Being a football coach, you sit there and look for body type,” said Kupcik, who coached Davis the past two years. “He’s tall, lanky and rangy for his size. He moves great for his size.

“Secondly, you could see he cared. He loved football and wanted to get better. He’s very coachable. He soaked up everything I had to say.”

Based on a conversation with a coach from Kentucky Christian, Kupcik believes Davis might get “thrown into fire fairly soon” though he’d like to see his now former player redshirt a season to “fine tune” his skills and improve his strength.

“I think he’ll fit real well there. His strength is his ability to pass pro (protect),” Kupcik said. “… For a kid his size, his athletic ability is huge. He’s able to kick step and intercept defensive ends twice as fast as him. He’s able to adjust with his footwork and speed and intercept those guys.”

Davis would like to improve his run blocking, hand placement and grow stronger as he moves forward. Academically, he plans to major in business administration, so he “can come back and help the community” in the future.

“I hope I come out with a degree,” Davis said. “I hope to be a better person, going to a Christian school and learning more about my religion, and hopefully one day make a difference in the world.”