Latest news with #DevontaDavis
New York Times
04-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UDFAs know the odds, and they don't care. Get to know 2 Colts determined to defy expectations
WESTFIELD, Ind. — The clock is ticking on their careers. Tough decisions will soon need to be made. This is the time of year when undrafted rookies are living out their dreams, knowing in the back of their minds that they have yet to be fully realized. It could all be gone at any moment, snatched away as NFL franchises pare down their 90-man summer rosters. Only 53 players make the final cut. When you start adding up the returning stars, veterans and this year's draft picks, there's not much room left for the undrafted free agents. Advertisement But these players know the odds they face. The chances they make the Week 1 roster as an undrafted rookie are overwhelmingly slim, yet a pair of Indianapolis Colts, Devonta Davis and Tyler Kahmann, believe they can beat those odds in Indianapolis. If they didn't have that type of mindset, well, they wouldn't have made it this far anyway. Davis once played for Deion Sanders at a school he was never supposed to attend. Kahmann, meanwhile, rewrote the record books at a university that's never produced an NFL wide receiver. Both refuse to call earning a training camp spot the peak of their football careers. 'I'm never really content,' Kahmann said. 'I have had conversations with my family and stuff, and they tell me the same thing, like, 'Appreciate it. It's really cool what you're doing. Not a lot of people get this opportunity.' That's great, but I'm striving for more.' Davis' helmet rested upon his forehead, halfway on. His blue jersey had almost turned black, wet from all the sweat that had soaked through the fabric. As nearby Colts fans screamed for Davis' autograph, with most of them having no clue who he was, a smile crept across his face. All those fans saw was a big man in an NFL practice jersey. They had no idea what it took for the undrafted rookie to wear it. 'Once we reported back for training camp that first day, that's when it felt real,' Davis said as he took in the scene at a recent training camp practice. 'Just seeing how the vets were moving around, I feel like that was my welcome-to-the-league moment.' Davis' path to the doorstep of the NFL was in no way conventional and in so many ways improbable. He didn't grow up in a big city with abundant recruiting exposure. His hometown of Union Springs, Ala., has a population of 3,358 people, per the 2020 census. The median household income in Union Springs is $25,828. Advertisement In April, Davis inked a three-year, $2.7 million contract, though only $3,000 is guaranteed, per Over The Cap. To earn the rest, he'll have to make the Colts' final 53-man roster. 'Getting a shot to play in the league, it's never been done in my city,' Davis said. 'I would be the first.' Most people from Union Springs, Ala., don't leave, Davis explained, but he always dreamed of a life outside its borders. Football granted him the opportunity to blossom beyond his environment. Davis' willingness to reach for an uncertain future, while drawing strength from his humble past, has taken him places he never could've imagined. Before he shared a locker room with DeForest Buckner and Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis, he shared one with Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders in Mississippi. And it was an accident he wound up at Jackson State to call Deion Sanders his head coach. When Davis was filling out college applications, he said he rushed through the process and mistakenly applied for Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., instead of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala. 'Luckily, my high school coach, Willie Spears, knew a couple of people from Jackson State,' Davis said. 'So, he got them to come down to the high school, and once they seen my size and everything, they just told me they were gonna offer me (a scholarship).' Spears, who coached Davis at Bullock County High School in Union Springs, Ala., said his former player hardly knew where to stand when Spears took over the program midway through Davis' prep career. Explaining the three-technique position to Davis felt like teaching a foreign language. 'He didn't know any football,' Spears said, laughing. '… My first day, we had a workout, but he and another kid were going with one of the assistant coaches to a University of Alabama Birmingham (football) camp. He apologized, and he was so upset. He said, 'Coach, I'm so sorry, but we already paid for this camp. … But I promise you, I'll never miss another workout.'' Advertisement Davis kept his word, and his dedication helped him blossom into one of Bullock County's top players. Davis' diligence, Spears said, is why he was so willing to vouch for Davis to continue his career at Jackson State. Davis 'gray-shirted' his first year on campus in 2019, meaning Jackson State didn't put him on scholarship until the second semester of his freshman year, so he did not play for the Tigers that season. Davis didn't play in 2020 either, which was Sanders' first year with the program, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when Davis finally made his debut in 2021, he became one of the most reliable players on the team over his next three seasons. Davis was named a two-time team captain under Sanders and helped the Tigers win back-to-back division and conference titles in 2021 and 2022. After proving himself in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Davis said he was inspired, in part, by Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, both of whom transferred from Jackson State to Colorado after the 2022 season and shined on a bigger stage. Davis entered the transfer portal after the 2023 campaign and joined Florida Atlantic, which plays in the American Athletic Conference. He opened his final college campaign in 2024 with a sack and forced fumble in a narrow loss at Michigan State. Colts GM Chris Ballard said pro scout Andrew Hoyle 'dug up' Davis after he tested well at Florida Atlantic's pro day, but Davis refuses to take full credit for his performance. With his NFL future on the line, Davis believes his late brother, Shaquille Davis, gave him the extra boost he needed to grab Hoyle's attention. Shaquille Davis died March 20, five days before Florida Atlantic's pro day. 'That's really my why. … He was my other half,' Devonta Davis said. 'He's the one who really pushed me to run a 4.86 (in the 40-yard dash) at 300 pounds. He's the one who really pushed me to bench 27 reps at the pro day.' Devonta Davis did not disclose how his brother died but vowed to always carry his spirit with him, especially as he strives to make the Colts' opening day roster. Spears added that a small-town kid like Davis continues to receive big-time support from back home in Union Springs, Ala. The 24-year-old was gifted the key to the city in May, an honor Davis said he could never repay, though Spears argued otherwise. In exchange for the key to the city, Spears believes Davis has given several youngsters in his hometown the key to success. 'There's not a lot in Union Springs, not even a Walmart. The people there are so loving and giving, but sometimes when you don't have much, the kids think, 'I gotta turn to a life of crime,'' said Spears, who commended Davis for never embracing the street life. 'Devonta proved that, no, you don't. You can still be somebody and go somewhere without that. So, even if the NFL doesn't work out for him or let's say it does work out for the next 10 years, he has a college degree and he's made his city proud. 'Coming from where he's from, he's already won.' Kahmann's mind was racing. The undrafted wide receiver, striving to make a good first impression with the Colts, couldn't remember the play. So, when the huddle broke during spring practice and he messed up the call, coach Shane Steichen laid into him. 'That was probably my welcome-to-the-league moment,' Kahmann said, laughing after a recent training camp practice. 'But other than that, so far, so good.' Advertisement Despite joining a crowded and established wide receiver room in Indy, Kahmann has shown flashes of his ability in camp, particularly during the team periods when he's running with the third unit. The 24-year-old has already built a rapport with third-string QB and former Notre Dame star Riley Leonard. The two have connected on multiple occasions for down-the-field receptions, highlighted by Leonard's 60-yard TD pass to Kahmann in a 7-on-7 drill Sunday. #Colts UDFA WR Tyler Kahmann just caught a longggggggg TD pass from Riley Leonard in 7-on-7, as Leonard's strong day continues. Most comfortable he's looked in all of camp. — James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 3, 2025 Kahmann's quick acclimation to his new teammates and the Colts' playbook, save for that miscue in the spring, may be a surprise to some. But for Ballard, who credited team scout Tyler Hughes for putting Kahmann on Indy's radar, it's not. Kahmann 'dominated' at Division II Emporia State in Kansas, Ballard said, which may still be an understatement. Kahmann not only dominated, he made history. The former Emporia State star holds the program record for most catches in a single season (101), most receiving yards in a single season (1,488), most receiving TDs in a single season (20, twice), most catches in a career (281), most receiving yards in a career (3,661) and most TDs in a career (54). ESU Career Highlights Grateful for Emporia State! — Tyler Kahmann (@tyler_kahmann33) January 13, 2025 In other words, Kahmann is arguably the greatest receiver to ever wear an Emporia State jersey. But did he hold himself back to earn that title? It's no secret Kahmann could've transferred after his first breakout season with the program in 2023, in which he totaled 101 catches for 1,234 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, Kahmann opted to stay put because of the loyalty he had to the program and the brutal honesty he had with himself. 'I knew I could probably play (at a D-I program), but I also knew I might not get the same opportunities to show what I could do,' said Kahmann, who never seriously considered transferring. 'At Emporia State, we throw the ball a ton, and I just knew one season (of big production) wasn't enough. But if I had another productive year, I knew I had a chance to get to the NFL.' Former @esuhornetsfb WR Tyler Kahmann at @Colts training camp.📷©️Indianapolis Colts — ESU Athletics (@ESUSports) July 30, 2025 Tyler Harris, who was a graduate assistant at Emporia State during Kahmann's college career, believes the opportunity Kahmann now has with the Colts isn't only a byproduct of his collegiate production, but the reward for all the work he put in to produce at that rate in the first place. After Kahmann graduated from Campus High School in Haysville, Kansas, in 2019, he red-shirted his first season at Emporia State before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out Emporia's 2020 season. Advertisement For two years, Kahmann went without playing in a real game, but he didn't allow the setback to stunt his growth. After everyone was sent home at the height of the pandemic, Kahmann and Harris both went back to Wichita, Kansas. According to Harris, players were still 'legally' allowed to train with staff members if they agreed to, but since most gyms and fields were closed, Harris and Kahmann had to get creative. 'The cops might've chased us off a field once or twice,' Harris said, laughing. 'The country was all out of whack, but yeah, we still had to get the work in. So, if we had to jump a fence or two, that's what we did.' Harris added that Kahmann's dedication was validated when he finally made his Emporia State debut in 2021. Kahmann totaled nine catches for 77 receiving yards and his first touchdown in a narrow loss against Pittsburgh State. The cornerback Kahmann was matched up against for most of that game? Dallis Flowers, who made the Colts' 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie in 2022 and now plays for the 49ers. 'That's when I thought we might have struck gold,' Harris said of Kahmann's performance. 'Dallis Flowers was shutting down everybody, but Tyler, even as a freshman, had his coming out party.' In retrospect, Harris believes Kahmann's performance against Flowers was the first significant step toward a potential NFL career. Now, Kahmann is hoping to turn that potential into reality by becoming the first former Emporia State wide receiver to appear in an NFL game. 'Everybody wants to be in the NFL. Everybody has that dream,' Kahmann said. 'But it was never really a specific goal until like my junior year of college. I was just trying to be the best I can be in every aspect of my life, not just football, and honestly, I think that approach is the reason I'm here.' (Top photo of Kahmann: Michael Conroy / Associated Press)
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Indianapolis Colts roster preview: IDL Devonta Davis
Let's take a closer look at this Indianapolis Colts team as we go player-by-player through the roster. Up next is IDL Devonta Davis. With offseason programs now behind us, we will be getting a jump start on our training camp preview by going player-by-player through the Indianapolis Colts' 91-man roster. Going alphabetically, up next is defensive tackle Devonta Davis. Devonta Davis' profile 2024 Snap count totals 2024 PFF grades 2024 Season Review Davis signed with the Colts after the 2025 NFL draft as an undrafted rookie. After playing his first four college seasons at Jackson State, Davis played his final year at Florida Atlantic. During this most recent season, Davis totaled 13 pressures and one sack. His pass rush production during his career won't leap off the stat sheet with the 20 pressures that Davis totaled in 2022 being a career high. However, his greatest impact came as a run defender, where he routinely graded out well by PFF's metrics. Out of 200-plus defensive tackles, Davis ranked 53rd in run defense grade and 92nd in run-stop rate. Looking ahead to the 2025 season When it comes to the depth behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, there are some unknowns for the Colts. For one, they need improved play behind those two, but how that playing time shakes out or who makes the final roster still remains to be seen. With that said, with Neville Gallimore, Tim Smith, Eric Johnson, and Adetomiwa Adebawore all competing for that playing time and roster spots, that's a lot of players that Davis has to jump on the depth chart. Perhaps with the question marks around the depth at this position, Davis has a clearer path to make a roster push than other UDFAs, but my guess at this time is that his ceiling this season is likely the practice squad.
Indianapolis Star
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Colts undrafted free agents: Who did the Colts sign?
The Indianapolis Colts announced the signings of 14 undrafted free agents: defensive tackle Devonta Davis, linebacker Solomon DeShields, cornerback Johnathan Edwards, defensive tackle Joe Evans, tackle Marshall Foerner, wide receiver Tyler Kahmann, defensive end Desmond Little, tight end Maximilian Mang, wide receiver Coleman Owen, wide receiver Landon Parker, wide receiver Blayne Taylor, safety Ladarius Tennison, kicker Maddux Trujillo and safety Trey Washington. Safety Marcel Dabo was designed as an Exempt/International Players and the guard Atonio Mafi and defensive tackle Pheldarius Payne were waived. Here's what the Colts said about their undrafted free agents: Devonta Davis: 6-3, 300 pounds, appeared in 48 career games at Florida Atlantic (2024) and Jackson State (2021-23) and totaled 95 tackles (48 solo), 20.5 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In 2024, he played in 12 games and registered 29 tackles (13 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Solomon DeShields: 6-2, 235 pounds, saw action in 54 career games (12 starts) at Texas A&M (2024) and Pittsburgh (2021-23) and recorded 109 tackles (53 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, four passes defensed and one fumble recovery. In 2024, he played in 12 games (one start) and registered 23 tackles (12 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. Johnathan Edwards: 6-1, 201 pounds, appeared in 45 career games at Tulane (2024) and Indiana State (2021-23) and recorded 124 tackles (86 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 22 passes defensed and one forced fumble. In 2024, he played in 14 games and registered 24 tackles (16 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss and one pass defensed. Joe Evans: 6-2, 323 pounds, played in 45 career games (32 starts) at UTSA (2022-24) and LSU (2019-21) and registered 69 tackles (28 solo), 10.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. In 2024, he started five games and posted five tackles (one solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack before suffering a season-ending injury. Evans earned Third Team All-American Athletic Conference honors (2023) and Honorable Mention All-Conference USA recognition (2022). Marshall Foerner: 6-6, 308 pounds, saw action in 46 career games (42 starts) at Minnesota State-Mankato (2019-24). In 2024, he started 13 games and earned numerous honors, including First Team Offense, AFCA First Team All-American, Don Hansen Second Team All-American and CSC Academic All-District Team. Foerner was a four-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence choice (2021-24). In 2023, he earned First Team All-NSIC honors and D2CCA Second Team All-Super Region Four recognition. Foerner also received the NSIC Myles Brand Award and earned CSC Academic All-District Team honors. He garnered First Team All-NSIC honors in 2022. Tyler Kahmann: 6-2, 207 pounds, saw action in 47 career games at Emporia State (2019-24) and compiled 281 receptions for 3,661 yards (13.0 avg.) and 54 touchdowns. In 2024, he played in all 11 games and totaled 100 receptions for 1,488 yards (14.9 avg.) and 20 touchdowns. Kahmann led the nation in receiving yards per game (135.3), receptions per game (9.1) and touchdown catches. He finished as the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) record holder with 54 career touchdown receptions. Kahmann was a two-time First Team D2CCCA All-Region selection, two-time First Team All-MIAA selection, was a unanimous pick for all-conference in 2024 and garnered Honorable Mention All-MIAA recognition in 2022. Desmond Little: 6-4, 242 pounds, appeared in 37 career games (20 starts) at UAB (2023-24) and LSU (2019-22) and tallied 86 tackles (40 solo), 20.5 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In 2024, he garnered First Team All-AAC honors after he started all 12 games and recorded 41 tackles (17 solo), 10.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, three passes defensed and one forced fumble. Maximilian Mang: 6-6, 263 pounds, saw action in 50 career games (12 starts) at Syracuse (2021-24) and registered nine receptions for 60 yards (6.7 avg.) and one touchdown. In 2024, he saw action in 12 games (two starts) and caught one pass for five yards. Prior to Syracuse, Mang played tight end and defensive end for the Berlin Rebels of the German Football League (GFL), the highest level of American football in Germany. He is a native of Bradenburg, Germany. Coleman Owen: 5-10, 181 pounds, appeared in 53 career games at Ohio (2024) and Northern Arizona (2019-23) and finished with 255 receptions for 3,517 yards (13.8 avg.) and 25 touchdowns. He also totaled eight carries for 45 yards (5.6 avg.) and one touchdown, 38 punt returns for 379 yards (10.0 avg.) and two touchdowns and 11 kickoff returns for 270 yards (24.5 avg.). In 2024, Owen started all 14 games and compiled 78 receptions for 1,245 yards (16.0 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He also tallied two carries for 26 yards (13.0 avg.) and one touchdown. Owen totaled 17 punt returns for 132 yards (7.8 avg.) and one touchdown. He set the program single-season record for receiving yards, earned All-MAC First Team Offense honors and was named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll. Owen earned Second Team All-Big Sky honors (2022, 2023), Honorable Mention All-Big Sky recognition (2021) and was a Big Sky All-Academic choice (2020, 2021, 2022). Landon Parker: 6-2, 211 pounds, appeared in 56 career games (20 starts) at Troy (2023-24) and Wofford (2018-22) and registered 95 receptions for 1,661 yards (17.5 avg.) and seven touchdowns. He also contributed as a punter and tallied 45 punts for 1,958 yards (43.5 avg.). In 2024, Parker played in all 12 games (10 starts) and recorded 27 receptions for 350 yards (13.0 avg.). He earned SSPS FCS Third Team All-America honors in 2020. Blayne Taylor: 6-4, 212 pounds, appeared in 51 career games at Abilene Christian (2022-24) and Cisco College (2020-21) and compiled 155 receptions for 2,297 yards (14.8 avg.) and 17 touchdowns. In 2024, he played in all 14 games and finished with 73 receptions for 1,117 yards (15.3 avg.) and eight touchdowns. Taylor earned Second Team All-UAC honors. Colts news: Colts undrafted free agents tracker: Who Indianapolis has landed so far Ladarius Tennison: 5-10, 207 pounds, appeared in 59 career games (21 starts) at Central Florida (2024), Mississippi (2022-23) and Auburn (2020-21) and compiled 168 tackles (103 solo), 20.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, five passes defensed, one interception, two fumble recoveries and one blocked punt. In 2024, he played in 11 games (four starts) and finished with 32 tackles (21 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, three passes defensed, one interception and one blocked punt. Maddux Trujillo, 6-0, 172 pounds, saw action in 45 career games at Temple (2024) and Austin Peay (2021-23) and converted 54-of-75 field goals and 149-of-154 extra points for 311 total points. In 2024, he played in all 12 games and converted 16-of-22 field goals and 21-of-21 extra points for 69 total points. Trujillo also handled kickoff duties and registered 27 touchbacks on 52 kickoffs. He registered a 64-yard field goal vs. Utah State, which tied for the eighth-longest field goal in NCAA history. Trujillo also converted a 60-yard field goal against Connecticut to become just the third player in NCAA history to record two 60+ yard field goals in the same season. It marked the two longest field goals made in Temple history. He was named to the FBS All-ECAC Special Teams list and garnered All-AAC Second Team honors. At Austin Peay, Trujillo earned numerous honors, including Second Team All-UAC (2021, 2023), All-ASUN Conference (2022), UAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2023), UAC All-Academic Team (2023) and CSC Academic All-District (2022, 2023).
