Blue wall, Nothing gets past Davey

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, November 15, 2023

No question Micah Davey is a star, on the Football Championship Subdivision level.

His numbers and play speak for themselves.

Just where his star will shine next season is the question on everyone’s mind — except maybe his.

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“Everything will work itself out,” Davey said. “I’m just thinking about getting a win Saturday (in the season finale at Lamar).”

McNeese State’s best player this fall is having a monster season even as the Cowboys (1-9, 1-5 Southland Conference) struggle.

The redshirt sophomore linebacker is putting up historic defensive numbers and making a national name for himself. That will open up a world of possibilities in the coming days for the son of former LSU quarterback Rohan Davey.

As the now famous NCAA transfer portal is set to open in December, the young Davey’s options will grow the same way his play has this season.

“I’m not thinking about that now,” Davey said. “I love this place here. I enjoy the school, the coaches, everything about it.

“I’m really dedicated to being all in wherever my feet are.”

For this weekend those feet will be in Cowboys cleats. Davey will lead McNeese to Beaumont, Texas, for the season finale against rival Lamar.

The Cowboys are looking for an on-field win as their lone victory in 10 decisions came by way of a forfeit.

“We want to win this one really bad, to show what kind of a team we can be in the future,” Davey sad.

Last week against Houston Christian, in the McNeese home finale, Davey put up numbers only two others in program history had ever done. He became the third Cowboy to record 20 tackles in a game, 13 of those being the solo type.

That earned him more national attention as he is second in the nation in tackles with 14.7 per game on the FCS level. He has 132 tackles through nine games which ties him for eighth all-time in a single season in school history with Terry Irving who did it in 1991.

“He is an absolute stud,” defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro, who also serves as the linebackers coach, said of Davey. “He makes tackles all over the field. Micah has worked his way into one of the best players in the country.”

Davey earned mid-season all-American honors and has 200 career tackles despite playing a limited time last season. If he stays at McNeese, Davey could become perhaps the best defender in school history and earn a shot at playing in the NFL.

“Micah is a tremendous player who has grown into a true leader for us despite just being a sophomore,” said Cowboys head coach Gary Goff. “He is somebody we want to keep and build our defense around. He is as good as I’ve seen.”

Davey said that despite McNeese’s troubles this fall he enjoys the young core of players on both sides of the ball and believes better times are coming.

“I am very excited about the young guys and how much better we have gotten,” he said. “We are such a young team that I had to step up. We just have to keep working.

“We are in a tough stretch right now, but it will be great when we turn it around. What we have to do is focus on the players in the program, work and get better.

“And I have learned so much here, especially from coach Peck (Pecoraro). I love playing for him.”

The struggles have also been a learning process for Davey, who arrived at McNeese as a walk-on before earning a full scholarship.

“I have found out that adversity shows what kind of a person you are and who is on your side,” Davey said. “My key is to just go back to work and find a way to get better each day.”

After Saturday, larger programs will come calling and Davey should listen. But he also seems to know the grass isn’t always greener in bigger stadiums.

One thing is for sure, Davey has earned the right to make that decision by the way he has played.

Either way, his future seems bright.