Wimbo
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From PFT... sorry if it's a repost, didn't see it in search.
This is awesome. The article does not say who he is trying out with, though. Good for him.
POSTED 11:23 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 1:34 p.m. EDT, April 5, 2007
43-YEAR-OLD GETTING TRYOUT ON MONDAY
On April 9, Jim Davis, an English professor who lives in Maine, will finally get a shot at fulfilling his unlikely dream of playing in the National Football League.
And he's 43 years old.
At a time when we're spilling so much e-ink talking about guys like Adam "Pacman" Jones and Chris "Pukeman" Henry, it's refreshing to talk about a man who is chasing a big dream rather than destroying one.
Davis reportedly can bench-press more than 500 pounds, and he can run the 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds. Not bad for a guy who didn't play high school or college football.
"As a freshman I signed up," Davis told PFT, "but there weren't enough people to play. Then I went to work to help my family." Later, Davis joined the Marines, where he served for 10 years.
But Davis has played organized ball. Last year, he suited up with the Brazil (Indiana) Wildcats. Before that, he played semi-pro football in Evansville, as a fullback and outside linebacker. He also has coached high school football for seven years.
Davis says that he has been trying to get an NFL tryout for four years. His quest landed him on ABC's The Great American Dream Vote, which was cancelled last week after only two showings.
But the dream goes on, and Davis hopes to convince others that there's nothing wrong with aiming high. "There was a high school coach that told the kids one year that they need to enjoy their high school seasons because they came from too small of a school to ever make it at college level or impossible for them to ever think about the NFL," Davis said. "I wanted to show them that nothing was impossible."
It hasn't been easy for a guy with a full-time job and a wife and three young sons, especially since there are few elite training facilities in Maine. "My training for the 40 sucks here," Davis said. "I should do great Monday, but I know that if I were signed with a team and working out I could blow it away."
Davis hopes to play fullback, safety, or special teams at the NFL level.
Are the odds stacked high against him? Hell yes. But should that keep him from continuing to push? Hell no.
We applaud Jim Davis and everyone like him, and the family members who support them. Chasing a big dream is about much more than making the big dream come true. The journey, successful or not, can open all sorts of unexpected doors.
And it can inspire others to dream big, too.
Good luck, Jim.
This is awesome. The article does not say who he is trying out with, though. Good for him.
POSTED 11:23 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 1:34 p.m. EDT, April 5, 2007
43-YEAR-OLD GETTING TRYOUT ON MONDAY
On April 9, Jim Davis, an English professor who lives in Maine, will finally get a shot at fulfilling his unlikely dream of playing in the National Football League.
And he's 43 years old.
At a time when we're spilling so much e-ink talking about guys like Adam "Pacman" Jones and Chris "Pukeman" Henry, it's refreshing to talk about a man who is chasing a big dream rather than destroying one.
Davis reportedly can bench-press more than 500 pounds, and he can run the 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds. Not bad for a guy who didn't play high school or college football.
"As a freshman I signed up," Davis told PFT, "but there weren't enough people to play. Then I went to work to help my family." Later, Davis joined the Marines, where he served for 10 years.
But Davis has played organized ball. Last year, he suited up with the Brazil (Indiana) Wildcats. Before that, he played semi-pro football in Evansville, as a fullback and outside linebacker. He also has coached high school football for seven years.
Davis says that he has been trying to get an NFL tryout for four years. His quest landed him on ABC's The Great American Dream Vote, which was cancelled last week after only two showings.
But the dream goes on, and Davis hopes to convince others that there's nothing wrong with aiming high. "There was a high school coach that told the kids one year that they need to enjoy their high school seasons because they came from too small of a school to ever make it at college level or impossible for them to ever think about the NFL," Davis said. "I wanted to show them that nothing was impossible."
It hasn't been easy for a guy with a full-time job and a wife and three young sons, especially since there are few elite training facilities in Maine. "My training for the 40 sucks here," Davis said. "I should do great Monday, but I know that if I were signed with a team and working out I could blow it away."
Davis hopes to play fullback, safety, or special teams at the NFL level.
Are the odds stacked high against him? Hell yes. But should that keep him from continuing to push? Hell no.
We applaud Jim Davis and everyone like him, and the family members who support them. Chasing a big dream is about much more than making the big dream come true. The journey, successful or not, can open all sorts of unexpected doors.
And it can inspire others to dream big, too.
Good luck, Jim.
