Vontae Davis is a retired American football cornerback who has spent nearly a decade as a professional with NFL teams including the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills. After a brilliant college career at the University of Illinois, Davis was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The former NFL star earned two consecutive Pro Bowl selections during his pro career. The most notable moment in his career, however, would be his abrupt retirement from the sport at halftime of a Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Chargers game on September 16, 2018.
Vontae Davis Bio, Age
Best known under his official name Vontae Davis, he was born on May 27, 1988, in Washington D.C. as Vontae Ottis Yeetvis. He completed his high school education at Dunbar High School, where he was taught football and athletics as a two-sport athlete. In his final year of high school, Davis took first place in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints at the 2006 DCIAA East/West Championships.
In football, the talented player had time in high school as a cornerback and wide receiver. He finished his senior season with 38 tackles and 8 interceptions, an accomplishment that earned him the All-Conference and D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year awards in the All-Metro, All-American, and DCIAA West First Team.
For his college career, Vontae Davis chose the University of Illinois among a number of other football scholarship opportunities. In his brilliant 3-year career, he played on the defensive, with the Illinois Fighting Illini 206 recording combined tackles and 7 interceptions in 36 missions. Davis gave up his final year of college eligibility and signed up for the 2009 NFL Draft in December 2008.
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Vontae Davis NFL Career
Vontae Davis was voted 25th overall by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He began his rookie season as cornerback no. 4 in the Dolphins’ deep rankings behind Will Allen, Sean Smith, and Nathan Jones. Throughout the season he made 9 starts in 16 games, with a total of 51 tackles (47 solo), 11 passing shots, and 4 interceptions.
After proving his worth, Davis earned a lot more playing time in the 2010 season by becoming the number one cornerback in the team’s deep rankings. With one exception, he started in all 16 appearances, recording 54 combined tackles (46 solo), 12 passing shots, and one interception. In his third and final season with the Dolphins, the talented player started in all 12 appearances, with the team ending the season with 43 tackles (39 solo), 9 passing shots, 4 interceptions, and one sack.
Before the start of the 2012 NFL season, Vontae Davis switched to the Indianapolis Colts. Although Davis was plagued by a number of injuries during the season, he finished the 2012 season with 51 combined tackles (46 solo), 7 pass shots, 3 interceptions and a sack in a total of 10 appearances. The talented player maintained his first-rate performance when he was nominated for the 2014 and 2015 Pro Bowl games. He also remained the Colts’ cornerback of choice until his last season (2017) with the team, when he was benched in favor of Quincy Wilson, who was drafted in 2017. Davis ended the season with a total of 21 tackles (16 solo tackles) and 2 passing shots, having played 5 games throughout the season.
Vontae Davis was dismissed from the Indianapolis Colts before the end of the 2017 season and in February 2018 he signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills as a freelancer. However, the NFL star only played one game with the Bills before he ended his career in a rather bizarre way.
Why Did He Retire Mid-Game?
Vontae Davis’ NFL career ended quite controversially after nearly 2 games in the 2018-19 season. For an average professional athlete, it is rare to retire in the middle of the season, but a retirement in the middle of a game is an unprecedented achievement. As bizarre as it may seem, Davis ended his professional football career on September 16, 2018, when he surprisingly left the Buffalo Bills at halftime in the team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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This move came as a surprise to both the Buffalo Bills coach and the other players on the team, as they all had no idea of Davis’ impending retirement. Apparently, the decision to retire in this way was not planned for the veteran cornerback. According to an official statement released after his infamous last game, Vontae Davis cited the fact that he was no longer able to put in a great performance and therefore considered it inappropriate to play even one minute longer.
Height and Other Body Measurements
Vontae Davis stands at a height of 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches). He has a bodyweight of 94 kg (207 lbs). At the peak of his career in the NFL, Davis was known for his immense physical strength and his versatility in defense.
