Andra Davis
Encyclopedia
Andra Raynard Davis [pronounced André] (born December 23, 1978) is an American football
linebacker
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
(NFL). He played college football
for the University of Florida
. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns
in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
, and has played for the Browns, Denver Broncos
and Buffalo Bills.
in 1978. He attended Suwannee High School
in Live Oak, where he was a four-year starter
for the Suwannee Bulldogs high school football
team. As a senior in 1996, Davis was the team captain
for the Suwanee Bulldogs football and basketball
teams, and was recognized as a first-team Florida Class 4A all-state selection and a SuperPrep high school All-American in football.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1998 to 2001
. The Gators coaching staff decided to red-shirt
him as a true freshman in 1997. As a junior letterman in 2000
, Davis was a member of the Gators' Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship team. As a senior team captain
in 2001, he was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection and a second-team All-American. During his college career, he played in thirty-five games, and started twenty-three of them; he finished his career with 232 tackles
, five quarterback sack
s and four forced fumble
s, three of which were recovered.
on September 8, 2002. He finished his rookie season
with 24 tackles and one interception.
Davis became the Browns starting middle linebacker in 2003
and finished the season leading the team with 171 tackles.He also tied a franchise record with 4 sacks in a single game that year against Kansas City on Nov. 9, 2003. During the 2004 season
he missed the final five games of the season with a knee
injury, he finished the season with 89 tackles and three interceptions.
In 2005
Davis recorded a career high and team leading 199 tackles. His best game came against the Green Bay Packers
on September 18 when he recorded 20 tackles. On November 20 he was named the AFC
Defensive Player of the week after recording 14 tackles, 2 tfl and 2 pbu's in the 22-0 win over the Miami Dolphins
. On December 15, 2005 the Browns gave him a five-year contract extension.
During the 2006 season
Davis played in 14 games, finishing with 104 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. During the 2007 season
he struggled starting only 10 of 16 games, finishing with only 67 tackles.
After the 2008 season, Davis became a free agent
. He finished his six seasons with the Browns starting 83 of 105 games, recording 711 tackles (484 unassisted), 8.5 sacks, and 8 interceptions.
. They released him on March 11, 2010. In his single season with the Broncos, he started 13 of 16 games, recording 90 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
on March 16, 2010. During the season, he saw action in six games and started four of them.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, and has played for the Browns, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Buffalo Bills.
Early years
Davis was born in Live Oak, FloridaLive Oak, Florida
Live Oak is a city in Suwannee County, Florida. The city is the county seat of Suwannee County and is located east of Tallahassee, Florida. The population was 6,480 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,828 ....
in 1978. He attended Suwannee High School
Suwannee High School
Suwannee High School is the larger of two high schools in Suwannee County. It is located in Live Oak, Florida. It currently serves 1,230 students in grades 9 through 12. It has a successful foreign exchange program and a diverse population...
in Live Oak, where he was a four-year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
for the Suwannee Bulldogs high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team. As a senior in 1996, Davis was the team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the Suwanee Bulldogs football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams, and was recognized as a first-team Florida Class 4A all-state selection and a SuperPrep high school All-American in football.
College career
Davis received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1998 to 2001
2001 Florida Gators football team
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season...
. The Gators coaching staff decided to red-shirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
him as a true freshman in 1997. As a junior letterman in 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
, Davis was a member of the Gators' Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship team. As a senior team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in 2001, he was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection and a second-team All-American. During his college career, he played in thirty-five games, and started twenty-three of them; he finished his career with 232 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, five quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and four forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, three of which were recovered.
Cleveland Browns
Davis was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round (141st pick overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he played for the Browns for seven seasons from to . He made his NFL debut versus the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
on September 8, 2002. He finished his rookie season
2002 Cleveland Browns season
The 2002 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 50th season with the National Football League.-Regular season:- Playoffs :-Standings:...
with 24 tackles and one interception.
Davis became the Browns starting middle linebacker in 2003
2003 Cleveland Browns season
The 2003 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 51st season with the National Football League.-Schedule:-References:...
and finished the season leading the team with 171 tackles.He also tied a franchise record with 4 sacks in a single game that year against Kansas City on Nov. 9, 2003. During the 2004 season
2004 Cleveland Browns season
The 2004 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 52nd season with the National Football League.- Schedule :-End of Butch Davis era:On November 30, Butch Davis resigned as Head Coach and General Manager of the team. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie. Robiskie promoted tight end...
he missed the final five games of the season with a knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury, he finished the season with 89 tackles and three interceptions.
In 2005
2005 Cleveland Browns season
The 2005 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 53rd season with the National Football League. Cleveland failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season with a record of six wins and ten losses.- Schedule :-Standings:...
Davis recorded a career high and team leading 199 tackles. His best game came against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
on September 18 when he recorded 20 tackles. On November 20 he was named the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Defensive Player of the week after recording 14 tackles, 2 tfl and 2 pbu's in the 22-0 win over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On December 15, 2005 the Browns gave him a five-year contract extension.
During the 2006 season
2006 Cleveland Browns season
The 2006 Cleveland Browns season marked the 60th anniversary of the Browns franchise. It began with the team attempting to improve upon their win-loss record from 2005, where the team ended the year at 6–10. They were one of the most active teams during the free agency period, and looked to be one...
Davis played in 14 games, finishing with 104 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. During the 2007 season
2007 Cleveland Browns season
The 2007 Cleveland Browns season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the AFC North. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season...
he struggled starting only 10 of 16 games, finishing with only 67 tackles.
After the 2008 season, Davis became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He finished his six seasons with the Browns starting 83 of 105 games, recording 711 tackles (484 unassisted), 8.5 sacks, and 8 interceptions.
Denver Broncos
On February 28, 2009, Davis signed a two-year contract with the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. They released him on March 11, 2010. In his single season with the Broncos, he started 13 of 16 games, recording 90 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Buffalo Bills
Davis signed with the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on March 16, 2010. During the season, he saw action in six games and started four of them.
See also
- 2001 College Football All-America Team2001 College Football All-America TeamThe 2001 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Football News and Sports IllustratedThe...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of the Cleveland BrownsHistory of the Cleveland BrownsThis article details the history of the Cleveland Browns American Football Club.-1946–1949: The AAFC years:The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1944 by owner Arthur 'Mickey' McBride and head coach Paul Brown and started play in 1946...
- List of Buffalo Bills players
- List of Florida Gators football players