Senior Moments: Kalon Davis

Kalon Davis and his scary eyes

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Jan 22 13:49:50 GMT-04:00 2015

CLEMSON - The 2014 season was special in many ways, and it marked the second complete evolution of seniors to pass through the program that I’ve covered since many of them were in high school. That means I called and talked to them when they were still sophomore and juniors in their hometowns, watched them through a redshirt year (for some) and four years of competition on the highest level of collegiate athletics.

There are times when it’s fun to go back and look at the pics TigerNet had of them in high school, or the freshman pics that were taken when they first arrived on campus and compare them to the senior year pics. It’s obvious how much they grew and matured throughout the process (even if it makes me feel old).

Along the way, there were some special moments and as we’ve said so long to this senior class I tried to think of a way to look back at their Tiger careers. We began with defensive end Vic BeasleyVic Beasley
RS Sr. Defensive End
#3 6-2, 236
Adairsville, GA
View Full Profile , and today we move to the other side of the ball and profile offensive lineman Kalon DavisKalon Davis
RS Sr. Offensive Guard
#67 6-5, 340
Chester, SC
View Full Profile .

I would be remiss if I just jumped right into the football aspect with Kalon, but there is more to Davis than the gridiron. There have been countless times we’ve gone into the WestZone for football interviews during the week, and I would see Davis at some table – alone – with a thick textbook open and taking notes.

For those who have paid attention during his time at Clemson, you know that he also loves to play soccer, loves Japanese culture and even took a trip to Japan last summer and even gave me suggestions on the best video games to buy for my son.

How he got to Clemson

Davis was a 3-star prospect out of Chester (SC) who committed to the Tigers in July of 2009. He was the ninth verbal commitment of the 2010 recruiting class, joining earlier commitments in DeAndre HopkinsDeAndre Hopkins
Wide Receiver (2010 - 2012)
#6 6-2, 205
Central, SC
View Full Profile , Martavis BryantMartavis Bryant
Wide Receiver (2011 - 2013)
#1 6-5, 200
Calhoun Falls, SC
View Full Profile , Joe CraigJoe Craig
Wide Receiver (2010 - 2011)
#81 5-10, 160
Gaffney, SC
View Full Profile and Reid WebsterReid Webster
RS Sr. Offensive Tackle
#77 6-3, 300
Woodstock, GA
View Full Profile . He had offers from Penn St., N.C. State, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and Wisconsin among others. Late in his recruitment he listed a top three of Clemson, Wake Forest and Alabama but the Tigers’ early offer and the chance to play close to home were what put the Tigers on top.

Davis’ Clemson career

Davis enrolled early – in January of 2010 – but still redshirted. Davis battled his weight and the depth chart during his early Clemson career, and then had surgery for a herniated disk. With his weight nearing 375 pounds, Davis went back to playing soccer and slimmed down considerably. He played 49 snaps in 2011, increased that to 166 snaps in 2012 and then started seven games and played 500 snaps in 2013. In 2014, he was arguably Clemson’s best offensive lineman, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors with 28 knockdown blocks in 903 snaps over 13 games. Davis also switched positions early in the season – after playing left guard for the majority of his Clemson career he slipped into the right tackle spot for a struggling Joe GoreJoe Gore
RS Jr. Offensive Tackle
#73 6-5, 283
Lake Waccamaw, NC
View Full Profile and solidified the right side of the Clemson line.

David Hood’s favorite Kalon Davis moment

There are a lot of Kalon Davis moments I will remember, but like a lot of the Clemson seniors there are moments in the game against South Carolina this past season that standout. Davis had five knockdown blocks in the contest, and one of those was on a play that sprung Wayne GallmanWayne Gallman
RS Fr. Running Back
#9 6-1, 209
Loganville, GA
View Full Profile for a huge gain.

I will also never forget the first time he walked by me into practice, and I saw that he had the white-colored contacts. Of course, we all asked for interviews that day and took pictures, and we all just shook our heads and laughed and said, “That’s just Kalon.”

Nikki Steele’s favorite Kalon Davis moment

One moment will always stand out to me – Clemson played in the Meineke Car Care Bowl after the 2010 season, and one of the bowl excursions was a trip to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and a ride-along in a NASCAR-style car.

All of the players and coaches suited up in fire suits and helmets and took turns climbing into the passenger seat of a car and taking laps around the track. Of course, most race cars are built for people who are not built like football players - especially offensive and defensive linemen - and there were more than a few that had issues getting in and out. However, Kalon's exit of the car and the celebration that ensued when he finally escaped were priceless and we just happened to be standing right there with a video camera rolling....

Davis’’s bio from ClemsonTigers.com

Powerful offensive lineman who was one of the team’s best offensive linemen in 2014 ... played soccer in high school and played in an intramural league at Clemson to help with his footwork ... had 50 knockdowns in 1,618 snaps over 49 games (21 starts) in his career.

2014: Honorable Mention All-ACC selection (media) ... Medal of Honor Bowl invitee ... has 28 knockdowns in 903 snaps over 13 games (13 starts) ... fourth in school history in snaps by an offensive tackle ... had a team-tying-high three knockdowns in 77 snaps at No. 12 Georgia on Aug. 30; named team offensive player-of-the-game ... played 46 snaps against SC State on Sept. 6 ... had a team-high three knockdowns in 72 snaps at No. 1 Florida State on Sept. 20 ... had two knockdowns in 75 snaps against North Carolina on Sept. 27 ... had a team-high four knockdowns in 71 snaps against NC State on Oct. 4 ... played all 73 snaps against Louisville on Oct. 11 ... had three knockdowns in playing all 81 snaps at Boston College on Oct. 18 ... had a team-high four knockdowns in 82 snaps against Syracuse on Oct. 25 ... played all 81 snaps at Wake Forest on Nov. 6 ... played all 54 snaps at No. 23 Georgia Tech on Nov. 15 ... had a team-high two knockdowns in 64 snaps against Georgia State on Nov. 22 ... had a team-high five knockdowns in playing all 61 snaps against South Carolina on Nov. 29; named ACC Co-Offensive Lineman-of-the-Week; named team co-offensive player-of-the-game ... had two knockdowns in 66 snaps against No. 24 Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 29.

2013: Had 14 knockdowns in 500 snaps over 13 games (seven starts) ... had one knockdown in 32 snaps in a starting role against SC State on Sept. 7 ... played 29 snaps at NC State on Sept. 19 ... played 58 snaps in a starting role against Wake Forest on Sept. 28 ... had three knockdowns in 49 snaps at Syracuse on Oct. 5; named ACC Offensive Lineman-of-the-Week ... had two knockdowns in 74 snaps against Boston College on Oct. 12 ... had one knockdown in 40 snaps against No. 5 Florida State on Oct. 19 ... had one knockdown in 60 snaps at Maryland on Oct. 26 ... had one knockdown in 30 snaps at Virginia on Nov. 2 ... had two knockdowns in 33 snaps against Georgia Tech on Nov. 14 ... had two knockdowns in 35 snaps against The Citadel on Nov. 23 ... played 25 snaps at No. 9 South Carolina on Nov. 30; named team co-special teams player-of-the-game ... had one knockdown in 35 snaps against No. 6 Ohio State in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

2012: Had eight knockdowns in 166 snaps over 11 games (one start) ... had two knockdowns in 52 snaps against Ball State on Sept. 8 ... had one knockdown in 52 snaps against Furman on Sept. 15; it was his first career start ... had one knockdown in 25 snaps at No. 4 Florida State on Sept. 22 ... had a team-high four knockdowns in 23 snaps at Duke on Nov. 3 ... played two snaps against No. 7 Louisiana State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31.

2011: Played 49 snaps over 12 games, including seven games on offensive plays ... played four snaps against Troy on Sept. 3; it was his first career game ... played one snap against Boston College on Oct. 8 ... played seven snaps against North Carolina on Oct. 22 ... graded 92 percent in 12 snaps at NC State on Nov. 19 ... played four snaps at No. 13 South Carolina on Nov. 26 ... played seven snaps against No. 3 Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game on Dec. 3 ... played 14 snaps against No. 22 West Virginia in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 4.

2010: Redshirted ... enrolled in January.

Before Clemson: Rated as the No. 34 offensive guard in the nation and No. 27 player in South Carolina by Rivals.com ... No. 46 offensive guard in the nation and No. 28 player in South Carolina by Scout.com ... No. 30 offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN ... No. 22 player in South Carolina by SuperPrep ... first-team all-state by The State and High School Sports Report ... No. 21player in South Carolina by Charlotte Observer ... All-Atlantic Region member by PrepStars ... coached by Maurice Flowers at Chester Senior High School ... recruited by Jeff ScottJeff Scott
Asst. Coach (WR) / Recruiting Coord.
View Full Profile ... chose Clemson over NC State, Penn State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.

Personal: Graduated Dec. 18, 2014 with a degree in modern languages (concentration in Japanese); spent part of the 2014 summer studying in Japan ... born Sept. 25, 1991.