Austin Davis has never been given anything his entire life. Davis attended West Lauderdale High School in Collinsville, Mississippi. He was a four-year varsity starter and the most winningest quarterback in school history. He was selected to compete in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game. Even with the great success while at West Lauderdale High School, Davis was not receiving much collegiate interest. He received no scholarship offers and walked on at Southern Mississippi.
At Southern Miss, Davis redshirted his freshman season. As a red-shirt freshman the next season, Davis won the job as the Golden Eagles’ starting quarterback. That season, Davis broke the Southern Miss all-time record for passing yards in a season with 3,128 yards and broke the great Brett Favre’s record of touchdown passes by a freshman with 23. Davis was named to the All-Conference USA freshman team and was a freshman All-American honorable mention. Over the course of his four seasons at Southern Miss, Davis broke every passing record in school history and accounted for 109 total touchdowns in his career.
Upon the end of his senior season, Davis was left short changed yet again when he was not selected in the NFL Draft. Davis signed a rookie free-agent deal with the St. Louis Rams. Davis made the practice squad for the Rams where he spent one season before being cut. He was then signed by the Miami Dolphins only to be cut again. He resigned with the Rams prior to this season to compete for the third string quarterback job with rookie Garret Gilbert. Davis was not expected to beat out Gilbert, but he did. In the third week of preseason, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford tore his ACL, making Austin Davis number two on the depth charts. Another injury in week one allowed Davis to start two games for the Rams and throw for 754 yards and three touchdowns.
Davis has earned everything he has achieved in his life. Now he can say he achieved the role of the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams.