Tae Davis' special-team hits spur UTC defenders

Tae Davis' opportunity to become a hard-hitting strong safety for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will come soon enough.

In the meantime, he's having fun being a hard-hitting special-teams standout.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior has made his impact on kickoff and punt returns and kickoff and punt coverage this season for the 6-1 and eighth-ranked Mocs, who host Virginia Military Institute at 2 p.m. Saturday at Finley Stadium. His hits have helped fuel the first-team defenders, who watch closely while gathering and getting final instructions from defensive coordinator Adam Braithwaite before getting on the field.

"I think our guys feed off it pretty good," Braithwaite said. "Against Mercer, he had a couple of big shots and I think it juiced our guys up, because we're right there ready to go when he does that.

"I think he's doing a good job, and hopefully he continues to set the tone that way."

Two Davis tackles forced the Bears to begin possessions short of their 25, which is where they would have started had there been a touchback. His hit on former Calhoun (Ga.) standout Chandler Curtis gave the Bears the ball at their own 13-yard line, and the UTC defense forced a three-and-out on that possession.

For the season Davis has 14 tackles, with most of those coming on special teams. He also had a forced fumble against Presbyterian on a punt return.

"I just want to go get the ball, just try to make the play," Davis said Tuesday. "I want to do my best in everything I do, and Coach (Russ Huesman) said go down and try to make some plays, so that's what I do."

A season ago, junior Dale Warren was looked at as the Mocs' special-teams ace, and this season he has shown what he can do at linebacker, with 55 tackles (8.5 for loss), three sacks and an interception. Davis has had to wait his turn at safety behind junior preseason All-American Lucas Webb and senior and two-time first-team All-Southern Conference pick Cedric Nettles. Yet he's taken his role in stride and become a stalwart at the position.

"I just try to prepare because you never know when your time is going to come," Davis said, "but as long as I'm out there on the field, I'm trying to give it my all. The plays will come just from effort."

Huesman calls Tae the "best one we've got by far" on special teams. Senior defensive end Keionta Davis goes a step further, calling Tae "probably the best special-teams player in the country.

"He's definitely a momentum swinger," Keionta Davis said. "He gives it his all every game. I love that guy to death; he goes out there, gives it his all, and when he goes out and makes a hit, we're just like, 'All right, we've got to do something now. We've got to top that.'

"I love going out on the field after he makes the hit, or some crazy block or does something, because every game he's going to do something - something fun, or something exciting to see."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.

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