Russell Morgan Davis (born March 28, 1975) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

. The

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

selected Davis in the second round and 49th overall in the

1999 NFL draft The 1999 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17–18, 1999, at the Theater at M ...

, and he played the 1999 season for the Bears. Davis then played for the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

from 2000 to 2005, the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

in 2006, and the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

in 2007 and won the

Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

title with the Giants that year.

Early life and college

Davis graduated in 1994 from E. E. Smith High School in his birthplace of

Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-Ameri ...

, and Davis was an All-State selection as a two-way lineman. He then attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

, and played for the

Tar Heels Tar Heel (or Tarheel) is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina and its people. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans. The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace ba ...

from 1995 to 1998 after redshirting the 1994 season. In 22 games started for North Carolina, Davis had 10.5 sacks and was in the same defensive line as

1998 NFL draft The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at M ...

picks Greg Ellis and

Vonnie Holliday Dimetry Giovonni Holliday (born December 11, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected by ...

. In his freshman season (1995), Davis had 46 tackles and three sacks in eight starts. In 1996 as a sophomore, Davis had 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks. In 1997 as a junior, Davis had 60 tackles and three sacks in 10 games (with 9 starts). Ellis played only two games as a senior in 1998 due to an ankle injury but had 36 tackles and two sacks for the year.

Professional career

Chicago Bears (1999)

In the

, the

selected Davis in the second round, 49th overall. As a rookie in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, Davis played in 11 games with 8 starts and made 13 tackles and 2 sacks. Davis made his first NFL career sack on September 12, 1999, to

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

quarterback Elvis Grbac.

Arizona Cardinals (2000–2005)

The

acquired Davis off waivers after the Bears cut Davis. Davis made 30 tackles and a forced fumble in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

with Arizona in 14 games with 9 starts. Davis' first full season of 16 starts in 16 games was in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

; he had a career-best 54 tackles on the season, 2 sacks, and deflected a pass. Again in

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

Davis played and started all 16 games in the regular season. He made 44 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 passes defended. In

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, playing and starting 15 games, Davis made 37 tackles, 1 sack, 2 passes defended, and a forced fumble. In

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, Davis made 49 tackles, 1 sack, 3 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble in 16 games (all starts). After starting the first three games of

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, Davis spent the rest of the year on injured reserve due to a left biceps injury. Davis made 5 tackles in 2005.

Seattle Seahawks (2006)

In 13 games (no starts), Davis made 30 tackles and 3 sacks with the

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

New York Giants (2007)

In his final NFL season, Davis played 11 games with the

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

. He had 5 tackles and 2 passes deflected. He played two playoff games, and the Giants later won

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Russell 1975 births Living people North Carolina Tar Heels football players American football defensive tackles Chicago Bears players Arizona Cardinals players Seattle Seahawks players New York Giants players People from Cumberland County, North Carolina Players of American football from Fayetteville, North Carolina 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen