In 2015, Vernon Davis didn’t play particularly well in San Francisco, got traded to Denver and didn’t play particularly well there either. That was Davis’s 10th NFL season, and it would have been easy to conclude that it would be his last.
Instead, Davis signed with Washington and has played well two years in a row, and this year he’s averaging a career-high 19.5 yards a catch. Davis said on PFT Live that he had to be mentally tough to hold on through some hard times and find another place where he could contribute.
“There’s so much doubt and you become such a pessimist when you’re in that situation. It’s extremely tough from a mental standpoint. You feel like you’re at the end of your career, maybe you need to hang it up,” Davis said. “You either fight or you give up and I feel like I did a great job of fighting and just staying in there mentally and staying positive.”
The 33-year-old Davis has always been a great physical specimen, but he says he’s better mentally than ever.
“I feel like I’ve gotten stronger mentally, as far as my preparation, the visualization that I put in,” Davis said. “I’ve learned a lot, been through a lot of situations where I had humbling experiences. You go from being that guy to all of a sudden playing a role, and for me at this point, I’m just elated to have a part and be a piece of a puzzle, where I can contribute to helping a team win.”
There’s no doubt that Davis, who is second on the team with 292 receiving yards, is making a big contribution now.