Davis Gives USC a Leg to Stand On

If you have ever wondered what goes through a kicker’s mind as he sets up for a field-goal attempt--three paces back, three to the side, lean forward and pause--here is the answer. At least in one case.

Big first step.

That short phrase helps USC kicker David Davis block out the pressure, the distractions, the crowd noise. It is a mental note that launches him into his motion with the proper technique and rhythm. It is also an apt description for his performance against Oregon last week.

The junior college transfer made field goals of 32, 43 and 39 yards, the last of which gave the Trojans a fourth-quarter lead that held up until the final seconds. Davis was steady and workmanlike, the kind of kicker USC has lacked in recent seasons.

“I’ve got to tell you, we’re pleased as we can be,” Coach Pete Carroll said after a recent practice. “The kick that put us ahead, that was clutch.”

But one game does not a season make, and Davis seems rather blase about it. Hardly an excitable young man, he said: “That was last week and I try to stay focused on the present.”

His personality is a big part of what makes him a kicker, says Joe Furlow, who met him at El Camino College two years ago and has been his personal coach since.

Furlow, who kicked for San Jose State in the mid-1990s, immediately noticed the kid’s long, skinny legs.

“The more flexibility, the quicker your hips pop through and that’s where you get your power,” he says.

That mind-set was equally impressive.

“Really low-key,” Furlow says. “Not one to panic.”

The Trojans became interested in Davis after their first choice, Trevor Lancaster, another junior college transfer, quit the team before spring practice. Special teams coach Kennedy Pola watched videotapes of El Camino games and offered Davis a scholarship.

But USC had to wait. Davis was studying to become a fireman and none of his fire science classes were transferable. He had to take a full load of general education classes through spring and summer.

“I kept calling him, making sure he was doing his schoolwork,” Pola said. “I even called when I was on vacation in Hawaii.”

Again, Davis was nonchalant: “It took a lot to get to USC, but I knew what I had to do.”

The suspense ended, in more ways than one, when he arrived at training camp. Pola told Davis the job was his to lose, then broke the news to returning kickers David Newbury and John Wall.

“If you guys don’t like that, I’m sorry,” he told them. “I’ve made my decision.”

It marked a change from previous years when kickers competed through summer camp, in some cases right up to the opener, and switched back and forth as the season progressed. Pola felt confident in the research he had done recruiting Davis. He wanted no controversy.

“I hated that as a player,” he said. “When the coach tells you you’re the guy, you walk a little different.”

Davis looked steady while getting most of the kicks in training camp, then made all three of his extra-point attempts in the opener against San Jose State. Carroll did not take those short ones for granted, not with a team that botched 10 extra points last season.

“It’s the momentum,” he said. “You don’t realize how important it is until you miss one.”

The Trojans were reminded the following week against Kansas State when Davis had an extra-point attempt blocked and fell short on a 42-yard attempt. Four points made the difference in a 10-6 loss.

Usually, Davis discusses his misses with Furlow, who attends some practices and is on the sideline for most games. This time, however, it was Pola’s turn to coach.

The former USC fullback is known for his fiery demeanor but knows that won’t always work in his current job. Unlike other players who feed off adrenaline, kickers are better off staying calm. Pola has them chart plays during games, anything to keep them thinking analytically, to keep them from being swept up in emotions.

After the Kansas State game, the coach turned again to numbers. Combing through Pacific 10 Conference records from last season, he compiled the statistics for attempts of 40 to 49 yards. Washington went to the Rose Bowl with a kicker who was two of four from that range. Oregon went to the Holiday Bowl with a guy who was five of 12.

Davis got the message.

“I know I’m the kicker for our team,” he said. “So I just need to go out there and do what I do and not worry about anything else.”

Except Pola added a warning: “Anything between 30 and 39 yards ... now that’s where we’ve got to make our money.”

Davis made his money against Oregon. In addition to his three field goals, he kicked a long extra point after an unsportsmanlike penalty against the Trojans. The field goal that put USC ahead with 10:20 remaining sailed 39 yards through the uprights.

Perhaps Davis will tuck the memory of that one away, waiting to be pulled out for a dose of confidence the next time he faces a crucial kick. But he insists he will not dwell on it.

Just like the Kansas State game, he analyzed his performance and let it go.

“I try to keep an even keel,” he said. “If I can forget the bad, I can forget the good.”

Funny what goes through a kicker’s head.