Conneaut grad Davison looks to bounce back at Mercyhurst after another injury

Dec. 28—It happened again.

A year after missing virtually all of the 2022 football season with an injury, Rylan Davison's 2023 campaign was also cut short.

In the fifth game against Edinboro, the Conneaut graduate who plays receiver for Mercyhurst University, was hit by a defender on a pass attempt.

"I broke my fibula in my right leg," Davison said. "I was carted off the field, and the reality set in was when I got into the ambulance."

Davison, a senior, missed the rest of the season.

"It was pretty disappointing to miss back-to-back seasons," he said. "The coaches and my teammates supported me."

But Davison didn't have surgery.

"If I would have had to have surgery, we're talking about four, five months," he said. "I didn't, and it was three, four months. I felt comfortable with the team doctor."

In the 2022 season, Davison broke a bone in his hand.

Through both injuries, Davison stayed in the game, going from playing to helping coach.

"At practice, I had a scooter," he said. "I tried to make sure everyone bought in, be a leader and talk them through it."

At the time of the injury, Davison had 24 receptions for 270 yards and four touchdowns in five games. The four TD receptions tied for the team lead.

Davison recorded five or more catches on three occasions with back-to-back efforts against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Sept. 23 and against Edinboro.

He had a season-high seven receptions against No. 1 Ferris State on Aug. 31.

Davison also notched a season-high in receiving yards with 77 against IUP while hauling in two touchdown catches, the first multi-touchdown game of his career.

"The first week or two was rough, I was putting all-conference numbers," he said. "Being my fourth year, that made it even tougher."

Davison still ended up fourth on the team in reception yards in five games.

"I'm progressing every day," he said.

In this career, Davison has recorded 47 catches for 538 yards and five TDs.

He has also returned 17 kickoffs for 278 yards, averaging 17.4 per attempt.

Now that the injury is a few months old, Davison's road to recovery for the 2024 season continues.

"First, the bone needs to mend," Davison said. "I need to build my calf and ankle mobility."

While his teammates start offseason training in January, Davison is anticipating returning to football activities in February, and proving himself once again.

"It's more motivating," he said. "You want to make sure you're rehabbing, and getting better."

Aside from returning and improving from an individual standpoint, Davison will look help the Lakers get back on track after a second-straight 2-9 season in 2023.

Mercyhurst finished the season with four straight losses. The Lakers' last winning season was 6-5 in 2019.

"The offense has to help the defense, and the defense has to help the offense," said Davison, who was the 2019 Ashtabula County Offensive Player of the Year while with the Spartans. "Everything has to be improved."

Mercyhurst will be without offensive coordinator Eric Acciani, who recently accepted the quarterbacks coach position at Tennessee Tech.

"It will be an adjustment," Davison said.

Davison, a 3.5 GPA student, is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2024 with a degree in sports business management and minor in psychology.

But he still has two years of eligibility remaining, and plans on using both of them to play football.

"I'll be back," Davison said.

After his playing days are finished at Mercyhurst, Davison said he would like to coach football at the college level.