Merely an hour or so after the 25th player selected in the 1st round, Illinois Cornerback Vontae Davis, I was fortunate enough to take part with the media in a conference call with the newest member of the Miami Dolphins.
Sorry for the delay in posting this but I had to transcribe the audio recording and it wasn’t as easy as it might sound. One thing I realized through the process, however, was that the dialog doesn’t do him justice. Contrary to some reports and popular rumor mill buzz Vontae was a genuinely humble and gracious guy who was nothing less that ecstatic about the reality that he was now a Miami Dolphin and he is excited to get right to it.
Mediator: Vontae Davis is on the line, picked with the 25th pick by the Miami Dolphins. So, Vontae, why don’t you just start by telling us all a little about what your day has been like today.
VONTAE DAVIS: I mean, um, of course I got up early and I actually couldn’t eat breakfast cause I was so nervous and just having my family there to support me and even my Mom even though we were up since early this morning but just anticipating the draft was much much work cause it’s 4 o’clock out here east coast time. Actually I was just trying to control myself. And eventually I did before it started.
Reporter: Vontae, Tom McNamara (sic) from St. Peter Tribute. Vontae, have you talked to, well, obviously you talked to the Dolphins people. What do you look forward to when you get down to their camp?
DAVIS: I look forward to competing with the other DB’s and making everybody else, you know, raise their game and that’s my job, for me to come in as a first round pick. Be the best, that’s what I have to do to the best I can to help this team win.
Reporter: What was it like for you just sitting there all day waiting and going all the way to #25?
DAVIS: Oh, I was just waiting there sitting and being anxious. For me to be the 25th pick in the first round is a blessing.
Reporter: What do you think about Miami, I know for awhile now you’ve been saying that you’re anticipating away in the draft. What do you think about that situation now going to Miami?
DAVIS: I mean it’s one of the best situations in the world in my opinion. As far as working out and training and it will be really good thing for my conditioning there and playing in good weather.
Reporter: Vontae, Did you expect to go this late or did you have hopes of going earlier and did the Marijuana story of a couple of weeks ago impact it?
DAVIS: I didn’t worry about that, I just wanted to know where I was going to be living and I was just real relieved and happy that I was with the Miami Dolphins.
Reporter Chicago Sun Times: What is the first thing you’re going to do when you get done with all of these media obligations?
DAVIS: Well just training, just training that’s the big one to get ready for camp so I can get ready for the season.
Reporter: What are you going to do later tonight, Vontae?
DAVIS: You know, I’ll probably just spend time with my family and I’ll probably just get some sleep.
Reporter: Are you going to watch the draft?
DAVIS: Yeah, I’ll probably watch it with my family and the highlights on TV.
Reporter: How do you feel about the story that broke about you?
DAVIS: It hurts me because you don’t know me as a person, you know. I mean it was just a bad thing, all the rumors, and I mean it’s all behind me now because I’m with a team, the Dolphins, that do know me as a person and feel like their getting a great player.
RONN BURNER, isportsweb: Vontae, this is Ronn Burner from isportsweb. Can you tell us a little about the conversations you have had over the past few days or weeks with Dolphin brass leading up to this?
DAVIS: Well, I did a private workout and that was it. I talked to the Rookie Scout and then he called me and said hard work pays off and practice like that in Dolphins camp.
RONN BURNER: When did you do that private workout?
DAVIS: Umm, this was back in this past March. And we actually talked about how they went to the playoffs last year and how I could come in and help them break through so I knew I was going there, it was just a question of being there [at pick 25]. I feel it’s a great value pick.
RONN BURNER: I saw your numbers posted at the combine: a 4.49 40, 25 reps on the bench were you comfortable with those numbers or do you feel you left some better numbers out there and you can actually improve on?
DAVIS: You know, I didn’t really have anything to prove there, everybody knows I run a 4.4. My biggest thing there was just training and getting in condition for the season, you know.
Reporter: What did your brother [Vernon Davis] say to you to get you through this process?
DAVIS: He just basically called me and told me not worry and he tried to calm me down and guided me through it telling me to try and relax cause it’s a long process, you know, and it’s gonna happen for me. He’s been through it to so I listened to what he told me.
Reporter: Can you tell us a little about your time at the University of Illinois and how important it was to get you to this point and how much Coach Zook did to kind of help you along and prepare you for the NFL?
DAVIS: Yeah, he just told me to fly around on the defensive side of the ball and disrupt the offense’s game plan and just leave it to God and that seemed like the right thing to do. And actually after I got drafted he was the first person I called and he was very happy for me at the time. He just told me to do what I normally do and it’ll be good enough at the next level and I’ll ultimately have success.
Reporter: You’ve probably been dreaming about this day for a long time, so Vontae, what’s it finally feel like to be able to say, “I’m a Miami Dolphin, I’m an NFL football player”?
DAVIS: I mean, it actually hasn’t even hit me yet. I’m just excited thinking about the uniform and one that I hope actually fits.
RONN BURNER: What jersey number are you hoping to get?
DAVIS: I have no idea. Whatever they let me to get and I’ll wear it.
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