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Davis Ready To Showcase His Skills In 2008 Senior Bowl
Jan. 25, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State senior tight end Kellen Davis, who set career highs for receptions (32), receiving yards (513) and touchdowns (6) in 2007, will participate in the 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 26 in Mobile, Ala. Davis, rated among the top 100 senior prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft, will represent the North squad, coached by the Oakland Raiders' Lane Kiffin. The NFL Network will televise the 59th annual Senior Bowl from Ladd-Peebles Stadium at 4 p.m. EST. The 6-foot-6, 246-pound Davis played extremely well down the stretch, with 18 of his 32 catches coming over the last five games (281 yards and 3 TDs during that stretch). His 32 receptions exceeded the combined total from his first three seasons. He caught at least one pass in 15 consecutive games, dating back to the 2006 season. "I had a good week of practice, and I've received a lot of positive feedback from the scouts," Davis said. "I caught the ball well throughout the week, and I think I did a good job of running crisp routes. "There are two other talented tight ends on the North team: USC's Fred Davis and Missouri's Martin Rucker. The competition has been good, and we've really pushed each other." College football analyst Charles Davis, who has been covering the Senior Bowl practices for the NFL Network, said that the Spartan tight end first started turning heads during the physical exams and weigh-ins on Monday, Jan. 21. "There was an audible `wow' when Kellen Davis reported for his weigh-in," Davis said. "He has an unbelievable body. "Kellen is really an intriguing prospect. NFL scouts will be forced to take a closer look because he's extremely athletic and talented. Some pro scouts question whether he goes hard play in and play out, and others have questioned his productivity in college. The only thing I have to say is remember that Kellen spent three years in a spread offense that really didn't utilize the tight end. As a pass receiver, he really did have a productive senior year under Mark Dantonio.
"I also thinks it helps that Kellen showed a willingness to go play some on the other side of the football last season. He put himself out there a little, stepping out of his comfort zone, by playing some at defensive end. When given opportunities, Kellen was pretty productive as a designated pass-rusher. "In the senior bowl, I really think Kellen and the other tight ends will have chances to make plays in the passing game," Davis continued. "With the defense limited to man free and Cover 3 in its pass coverage, the tight end will have opportunities to make plays against the single safety." Davis led the Spartans with four catches for 38 yards against No. 14 Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl, including an 18-yard TD reception from Brian Hoyer to open the scoring. He also caught a two-point conversion pass from Hoyer against BC as MSU pulled to within 24-21 with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter. Davis recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career in the regular-season finale against Penn State, with four receptions for 106 yards. His 23-yard grab from Ryan Allison set up a touchdown midway through the third quarter as the Spartans pulled to within 10 at 24-14. He caught three passes for 47 yards in MSU's 48-31 victory at Purdue, including a 2-yard TD grab from Hoyer in the second quarter. Davis had four catches for 47 yards against Michigan, including a 5-yard scoring toss from Hoyer early in the fourth quarter. He also had three receptions for 43 yards at Iowa. His 25-yard reception from Hoyer set up Michigan State's final touchdown in its 52-27 Homecoming victory over Indiana. Davis also picked up 24 yards on a tight-end around in the third quarter against the Hoosiers. He had two receptions for 33 yards against Notre Dame, with both catches resulting in TDs. His 3-yard TD grab from Hoyer late in the first quarter gave MSU the lead for good at 14-7. Late in the third quarter, Davis iced the game by scoring on a 30-yard strike from Hoyer on a fourth-and-2 play. Davis caught two passes for 38 yards in MSU's 17-13 victory over Pittsburgh, including a career-long 32-yard reception from Hoyer that set up Jehuu Caulcrick's 2-yard touchdown run. He had three catches for 23 yards in MSU's 28-17 victory over Bowling Green, including a 7-yard TD grab from Hoyer in the second quarter that tied the game at 14. Davis caught two passes for 44 yards in the 2007 season opener against UAB, including a 25-yard grab from Hoyer that set up MSU's second TD. A four-year letterman, Davis appeared in 43 career games, including 22 starting assignments. He had 60 career receptions for 789 yards (13.2 avg.) and nine TDs. As a senior, Davis also had the opportunity to showcase his athleticism and versatility while seeing limited action at defensive end. He recorded six tackles, including two sacks (12 yards) while being utilized primarily as a designated pass-rusher. Davis recorded a sack in back-to-back games against UAB and Bowling Green. He played double-digit snaps on defense against Pittsburgh (13) and Notre Dame (11). Davis said that he only took reps at tight end during the four Senior Bowl practices, so he doesn't expect to see any playing time on the defensive side of the football. The Senior Bowl produced 12 first-round picks in the 2007 NFL Draft, 90 total selections and a top five choice for the seventh consecutive year. Some 575 former Senior Bowl players were on NFL active rosters during the 2007 season.
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