Saints linebacker Demario Davis leads on and off the field

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis is an All-Pro both on and off the field. And with the NFL more popular than ever before, Davis is hopeful that the work players do in their local communities is always part of the story.

At 35, Davis’ career has aged like fine wine. He signed with the Saints in 2018 after five years with the New York Jets and one with the Cleveland Browns and has become one of the league’s best linebackers. The Mississippi native has made four straight second-team All-Pro appearances after being named a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019. He has also been named to the NFL’s Top 100 list in each of the last five seasons, coming in at #44 this past offseason, and is third among active players in tackles. Even though the Saints haven’t been able to replicate their success under Drew Brees and Sean Payton, Davis has been one of the league’s standout players.

But as decorated as Davis is for his play on the gridiron, his impact in the community is even more special.

Davis spoke with Awful Announcing for a phone interview from an event in New Orleans partnering with Raising Cane’s that gave away 100 custom bikes and helmets to members of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Louisiana. It’s the fifth consecutive year that Raising Cane’s has partnered with athletes and youth organizations around the country for donations of bicycles. And it’s this work that Davis is eager to share with NFL fans everywhere as being just as important as what happens on Sundays.

“It’s very important. I think that being in the community means so much, the teams mean so much to the city. Players have a tremendous platform as their role models. So many kids are watching them, so many people are watching. How you show up really matters, and using that responsibly, to whom much is given much is required. So it’s vital to show up off the field just as much as we show up on the field,” Davis said.

Demario Davis knows what it means to show up. He’s been nominated by the Saints for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2020 and 2022. In October, Davis was named as the NFLPA’s Community MVP for Week 8. In honor of his 100th consecutive start for the Saints, Davis and his wife Tamela helped deliver and assemble 100 beds for the Covenant House in New Orleans that helps provide support for homeless and at-risk youth. The pair also launched their Devoted Dreamers foundation in 2013 and Davis is also a task force member of the Players Coalition, which was started in part by former Saints teammate Malcolm Jenkins.

The NFL has done more in recent years on a national level to try to highlight these efforts locally thanks to initiatives like recognizing the Walter Payton Man of the Year winner at the Super Bowl and NFL Honors. But it’s not likely to be a lead topic on First Take or Sunday NFL Countdown amidst MVP debates, coaching hot seats, and draft pick steals and busts. Davis hopes that the work players like him do in the community can be a bigger part of the league’s overall story as its popularity continues to soar.

“It’s so much work that’s being done in our communities. If we’re honest, there’s a lot of good happening in our country but a lot of bad. It’s amazing how players are showing up to be part of those solutions and showing up to partner with organizations that are on the ground and showing up to do real work to fix some of our country’s biggest issues. I think it’s very vital that players show up and be a part of that but also that it’s covered and captured,” Davis added.

The NFL was already incredibly popular when Davis was a third-round draft pick out of Arkansas State with the Jets in 2012. But the league’s growth even from those heights isn’t lost on him. The NFL has now played games on three different continents, expanded to Christmas Day and Black Friday, and is partnered with pretty much every major linear and streaming company that has a signal. All together, it means that more people around the world are watching football than ever before. That growth has given an even bigger platform to players to be able to share the work that they do and what it is about the sport that brings people together.

“The league was at the top of its game when I came in in 2012, but to see the way it has grown even bigger and spread to international platforms, with the TV networks and highlight players’ stories with the growth of social media and streaming networks, it’s allowed the reach of the game to continue to expand,” Davis reflected. “I will always believe the game of football is the greatest sport on the planet with all the different things you can learn from in life from the game of football and the life lessons it teaches, the fanhood it creates, and the community and camaraderie it creates. I’ll always be a fan of the game and believe in what it has to offer and I think that speaks for itself in how much it’s expanded around the world.”

As for what comes next for Demario Davis and the Saints? He says he’s excited about the change in culture under new interim coach Darren Rizzi. A flood of injuries derailed the 2024 season after the Saints looked like the best team in the league through two weeks. The injuries have continued to mount with rookie QB Spencer Rattler coming off the bench to lead a dramatic second-half comeback that fell just short on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. But Davis still believes in Rizzi and the culture the Saints have built as a winning organization over the last two decades to keep moving forward.

“I think there’s no better place to be than where we are right now as far as being a team that had to deal with adversity. We went on a seven-game skid and then we got a leader in Coach Rizzi that stepped in and really turned the culture around. The five games we played we’re about two plays away from being 5-0. There’s a deep belief, deep level of preparation, deep level commitment to where we are that we got this train going in the right direction. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going from now through the end of the season, through the offseason and into next season.”

Although he shows no signs of slowing down at age 35 and is still at his peak, when the time finally comes for Davis to pursue another opportunity outside of football, he’s open to a broadcasting career to tell more stories about the players who will follow in his footsteps.

“I still got a few good plays in this body of mine so I’m enjoying doing it right now so I take it one step at a time. Certainly if there’s a lane for me or an alley for me to be able to walk down in sports media or broadcasting I’d definitely be open to that.”