Davis long way from L.A. roots
MIAMI -- As Rashied Davis took the field before Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, a helicopter circled above Dolphin Stadium.
Davis probably didn't even notice, but the sound of a helicopter elicits vivid memories for the Bears wide receiver. As a youngster in South Central Los Angeles, Davis said the sound and spotlight of police helicopters were constant reminders of the danger of his surroundings.
Davis probably didn't even notice, but the sound of a helicopter elicits vivid memories for the Bears wide receiver. As a youngster in South Central Los Angeles, Davis said the sound and spotlight of police helicopters were constant reminders of the danger of his surroundings.
''The helicopters would shake your house,'' said Davis, who caught one pass for two yards in the Bears' 29-17 loss. ''You could hear the windows shaking, and the light is the brightest you've ever seen.''
(Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
''The helicopters would shake your house,'' said Davis, who caught one pass for two yards in the Bears' 29-17 loss. ''You could hear the windows shaking, and the light is the brightest you've ever seen.''
The lights were just as bright -- but perhaps not as hot -- Sunday as Davis' improbable journey that started in South Central reached a destination light years away. That journey included being bused to junior high and high school in the San Fernando Valley, then on to West Los Angeles Community College.
He thought he might have a career in football when he received his first scholarship at San Jose State. He played four seasons with the San Jose SaberCats in the Arena Football League before signing with the Bears as a defensive back last season.
Davis probably traveled farther to get to Miami than any other player on the field.
''You'd hear gunshots and helicopters every night,'' he said of his childhood. ''It was kind of weird not hearing that stuff when I got to the Valley. One time a police helicopter was flying around the school, and the kids were amazed. I was like, 'I see this every night. Where have you been?' That's when I realized my neighborhood wasn't the whole world.''
Davis printed ''Finish'' on one forearm Sunday and ''60 minutes'' on the other. He admits to being the team leader in cliches, and while his neighborhood was portrayed in movies such as the 1991 hit ''Boyz n the Hood,'' it's hardly a cliche.
''I've been awakened by police pistols while sleeping in my home,'' he said. ''I've been through a lot more than you guys know. I've been through police raids, and I've been shot at a couple of times -- not from anything I was doing, just because someone felt like shooting.''
Davis said he plans to go back to South Central during the summer.
''I've talked to a lot of kids in Chicago and told my story all over San Jose,'' he said. ''But I haven't gone back to L.A.
''This offseason I plan to start an organization to provide scholarships. I want to go back to my old elementary school to meet up with my teachers and talk to the kids.''
One of nine children, Davis said his mother, Judy Jamerson, has moved out of South Central. But Davis hasn't been able to provide as much as he wishes he could.
''I feel a little security, but there's no real security in football unless you sign a multimillion-dollar contract and get a lot of money up front,'' he said. ''You can get hurt at any time or they can cut you at any time, and you might not get picked up.
''There are no guaranteed contracts. The only money that's guaranteed is the signing bonus, and I didn't get one. You have to work at it.''