Donnie Davis
Encyclopedia
Donnie Davis was the starting
quarterback
for the Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets
in 1993 and 1995. He would eventually become a quarterback in the Arena Football League playing for the Arizona Rattlers
, the Milwaukee Mustangs
, and the Georgia Force
.
began in the wake of the 1990 National Championship run under Head Coach
Bobby Ross
. Davis redshirted
in 1991 and would await the graduation of star quarterback Shawn Jones
through his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. Bobby Ross would leave before Davis's sophomore season and Bill Lewis
was appointed head coach. The team, 2 years removed from a National Title, only won five games and finished the 1992 season with a 5-6 record.
Davis in 1993 was looked upon as a new hope for the Georgia Tech faithful. His redshirt sophomore campaign began with a thrashing of Furman
but over the next three games Georgia Tech would be outscored 102-27. Davis would finish the year with a 5-6 record and a loss to archrival Georgia
.
Bill Lewis wanted a spark for his wilting team so he recruited junior college
transfer Tom Luginbill
from Palomar
. Luginbill came in from a wide open pass offense where he tossed for over 7,600 yards and had won 21 games in two years. Luginbill would eventually take the starting job from Davis after Davis got injured in spring practice. Donnie was a favorite amongst the team on and off the field, which further compounded the issue. Several Georgia Tech players saw Luginbill's appointment as an insult to their former coach and national title team.
Luginbill's first two efforts in 1994 saw Georgia Tech narrowly lose to then #1 Arizona
and demolish Western Carolina
. Then, the team began a downward spiral as death threats against Luginbill and racial divide may have split the team into small quarreling factions. Luginbill's career ended at Georgia Tech with a 1-10 record and the firing of Coach Bill Lewis. Lewis was replaced by defensive coordinator
George O'Leary
.
After Luginbill transferred to Eastern Kentucky
, Davis and O'Leary began a major rebuilding of the Georgia Tech football program that would lead Georgia Tech eventually back to playing in bowls and competing at the highest level in the ACC
. Davis over his career compiled an 11-11 record with over 4,000 yards of total offense and 29 total touchdowns. He is remembered for his athleticism and steadfast nature during some of the darkest times in Georgia Tech football.
history. He would win the Most Valuable Player of Arena Bowl XI in 1997, where Kurt Warner
was the opposing quarterback.
in 2001 and has worked in the mortgage banking industry ever since. Davis plans on graduating from Georgia Tech in 2009 with a Bachelors of Science
in Management
.
He is currently an intern at both the Southern Company and for the Georgia Tech department of athletics, and has also started a LinkedIn
group for Georgia Tech football letter winners
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 1993 and 1995. He would eventually become a quarterback in the Arena Football League playing for the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
, the Milwaukee Mustangs
Milwaukee Mustangs
The Milwaukee Mustangs were an Arena Football League team. They played from 1994 to 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center.-History:The team was founded in 1994 amidst rumors that the Green Bay Packers would soon stop playing games in Milwaukee, something they'd been doing since 1936...
, and the Georgia Force
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
.
College
Davis's college careerCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
began in the wake of the 1990 National Championship run under Head Coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
. Davis redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 1991 and would await the graduation of star quarterback Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones was a National Football League player for the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was a four year starter at Quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.- High School :...
through his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. Bobby Ross would leave before Davis's sophomore season and Bill Lewis
Bill Lewis (football)
-External links:*...
was appointed head coach. The team, 2 years removed from a National Title, only won five games and finished the 1992 season with a 5-6 record.
Davis in 1993 was looked upon as a new hope for the Georgia Tech faithful. His redshirt sophomore campaign began with a thrashing of Furman
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
but over the next three games Georgia Tech would be outscored 102-27. Davis would finish the year with a 5-6 record and a loss to archrival Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
.
Bill Lewis wanted a spark for his wilting team so he recruited junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
transfer Tom Luginbill
Tom Luginbill
Tom Luginbill is a college football analyst for ESPN. Luginbill grew up in Tempe, Arizona and San Diego. He is the son of the professional and college coach Al Luginbill.-Playing career:...
from Palomar
Palomar College
Palomar College is a community college with one campus and six education sites in San Diego County, California. The main campus is located in San Marcos, while the six education sites are located elsewhere throughout north San Diego County. The largest of these is the education center located in...
. Luginbill came in from a wide open pass offense where he tossed for over 7,600 yards and had won 21 games in two years. Luginbill would eventually take the starting job from Davis after Davis got injured in spring practice. Donnie was a favorite amongst the team on and off the field, which further compounded the issue. Several Georgia Tech players saw Luginbill's appointment as an insult to their former coach and national title team.
Luginbill's first two efforts in 1994 saw Georgia Tech narrowly lose to then #1 Arizona
Arizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
and demolish Western Carolina
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
. Then, the team began a downward spiral as death threats against Luginbill and racial divide may have split the team into small quarreling factions. Luginbill's career ended at Georgia Tech with a 1-10 record and the firing of Coach Bill Lewis. Lewis was replaced by defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
George O'Leary
George O'Leary
George Joseph O'Leary is the head football coach of the UCF Knights football team that represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida; he previously coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1994 to 2001, and served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota...
.
After Luginbill transferred to Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, Davis and O'Leary began a major rebuilding of the Georgia Tech football program that would lead Georgia Tech eventually back to playing in bowls and competing at the highest level in the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. Davis over his career compiled an 11-11 record with over 4,000 yards of total offense and 29 total touchdowns. He is remembered for his athleticism and steadfast nature during some of the darkest times in Georgia Tech football.
Professional career
Davis would go on to be one of the most successful passers in Arizona RattlerArizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
history. He would win the Most Valuable Player of Arena Bowl XI in 1997, where Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
was the opposing quarterback.
After football
Donnie retired from arena footballArena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
in 2001 and has worked in the mortgage banking industry ever since. Davis plans on graduating from Georgia Tech in 2009 with a Bachelors of Science
Bachelors Of Science
Bachelors of Science is the stage name of Phil "Rene", Chris and Lukeino. They met in California and formed a successful act, quickly becoming one of the top drum and bass producers in the electronic music scene...
in Management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
.
He is currently an intern at both the Southern Company and for the Georgia Tech department of athletics, and has also started a LinkedIn
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
group for Georgia Tech football letter winners