South Carolina RB Mike Davis plans to enter NFL Draft
Saturday’s Independence Bowl against Miami will be the final collegiate game in the career of South Carolina running back Mike Davis.
Davis, a junior, confirmed on Thursday that he will declare for the NFL Draft.
“Yes, this will be my last game,” Davis said. “You always want to go out with a bang. I just tell my teammates that I love them. I’ve enjoyed this long ride. I knew when it was coming down to it and I had made my decision, I started bringing a camera in to start recording my last moments with my teammates – a lot of good moments. I’ve just enjoyed being around them.”
Despite enduring various injuries over the course of the season, the 5-foot-9, 223-pound Davis gained 927 yards and scored nine touchdowns on 186 carries (5.0 yards per carry) for the Gamecocks this season.
"He's ready to go," said South Carolina running backs coach Everette Davis. "He's feeling good. He's ready to put his best foot forward. I don't think it's a mystery that Mike's going to take his talents (to the NFL).
“He had an up and down year. He's had a lot of good runs throughout the year and he had some injuries that’s not allowed him to be at full speed all the time. But the thing is, he's still at 930 yards so, he's still put himself in a position for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in the SEC, which is not an easy task."
After gaining 275 yards and scoring twice as a true freshman in 2012, Davis emerged as one of the best backs in the SEC in 2013 with 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns.
With 73 yards against Miami (6-6) in the Independence Bowl, Davis can become the second player in South Carolina history to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.
For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
