Former UCF receiver Gabe Davis kicks off business venture in Winter Park
Gabe Davis’ bright red Buffalo Bills jersey with white letters hangs in a black frame in The Draft Academy entryway.
Scribbled in black ink in the No. 13 next to his signature: “You can do anything you put your mind to. The real question is: what are you willing to sacrifice to get there?”
Davis has lived by that growing up in Fernandina Beach and carried it with him to Seminole High and UCF. It’s followed him to the NFL and his home with the Buffalo Bills, who drafted the receiver in the fourth round in 2020 and open full training camp Tuesday.
“I truly believe there is one plan and one only,” said Davis. “If you have a second plan, you’re already planning to fail. I sacrificed everything I could to be in the NFL like I am now.
“I told my mom when I was nine years old I was going to be an NFL player and did all this sacrifice to get there.”
His mantra is here as a welcome to visitors stopping by the latest venture by Davis, 24.
The Draft Academy is a one-of-a-kind performance and recovery center created by Davis and several partners. The approximately 5,000-square-foot facility in Winter Park is a haven for health and wellness. It features cutting-edge treatments, including a hyperbolic chamber, infrared sauna and physical therapy rooms.
“It has everything that we use consistently,” he said. “This is going to be a great spot for guys who want to use it and be able to take care of themselves.”
It features a staff that’s comprised of a performance coach (Bert Whigham), physical therapist (Alex Mendez), nutritionist (Rikki Keen) and doctor (Dr. Hardik Shah).
Davis came up with the idea when he started training in Central Florida in the offseason and would have to drive 45 minutes to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports facilities to work out with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott or Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.
“The fact I can bring those same kinds of people closer to home and around all these kids in Central Florida is big for me,” Davis said. “I wanted to be somewhere closer and easier to get to and offers much more.”
Davis has spent the offseason working out with several fellow NFL players such as former UCF standouts Latavius Murray (Bills) and Jacob Harris (Jacksonville Jaguars). He’s also worked out with receivers Isaiah Hodgins (New York Giants) and Stefon Diggs (Bills), running back Kenneth Gainwell (Philadelphia Eagles), and linebackers Jarrad Davis (Giants) and Matt Milano (Bills).
The walls of The Draft Academy are covered in sports memorabilia and photos of Davis from his first three seasons with the Bills.
“There were a lot of kids that were way more talented than I was,” he said. “So, if I can show them, not just the performance side but put them around great people and teach them how to take care of their bodies early.”
Davis has been busy preparing for the upcoming NFL season with the Bills, who finished first in the AFC East only to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional playoffs. He’s coming off a career season with 836 yards on 48 catches with 7 touchdowns.
“It’s a Super Bowl mindset every year,” said Davis. “We just have to put it together. We’re a great team with great players. We must put it together on Sunday.”
