Carroll Alum Will Davis Heading to Alamo Bowl

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Ranked 11th in the nation, Kansas State football may have missed out on a playoff bowl game after its recent loss to Baylor, but they are still bowl-bound, heading to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 at 5:45 p.m. They face No. 14 UCLA.

The bowl appearance is sort of a homecoming for sophomore linebacker Will Davis, who Carroll football fans will remember from the last state championship team. Davis was an All-State selection and the state's Defensive Player of the Year during the 2011-12 championship run.

Kansas State Athletics.

"It’s great," Davis said of Kansas State's success this year. "Just like in high school, anytime you havebrsuccess, you take a sense of pride into your work ethic on and off thebrfield. You can walk around and carry your shoulders and head a little bitbrhigher. It’s good to have success. It teaches you what the hard work was for inbrthe offseason and two-a-days and stuff like that. It’s been fun."

Although the Dragons are out of the hunt this year, Davis said he kept an eye on his alma mater.

"I actually got to make it home for the game for Denton Guyer," he said. "Anytime you can see your high school programbrcontinue to do well after you’re gone, you take pride in that. Especially Southlake, Ibrknow a lot of the ex-players, we hold a lot of pride in the fact that we havebrcontinued success."

Davis has made total tackles for the 9-3 Wildcats in 2014. He's also recovered a fumble. As an underclassman, he's learning the ropes of the college game. His time at Carroll prepared him well, but he paid tribute to his current teammates for some added skills.

"The college level is different," he said. "Everyone is bigger, faster, stronger. Having the mental mindset to push through that all the time - that’s thebrbiggest thing I’ve learned through our senior leaders."

Carroll head coach Hal Wasson said Davis was an outstanding leader and player for the team. He was a captain on the state championship team.

"The bigger the game the bigger he played," Wasson said. "He always led by example and took ownership in the way he played. Will was a great role model for our program in the classroom, on the field, and off the field. He had great instincts and one of the best players I've had the privilege to coach. We are so proud of him!"

He said his current head coach Bill Snyder teaches players that you don't have to be a senior to be a leader. Davis hopes to exemplify that mantra. He said his former head coach helped him realize some of this same quality, and more.

"Coach Wasson is not just a great coach, but a great molder ofbrmen," he said. "He teaches and instills life lessons through football, of course. Maybe you don’t see it at the time but when you gobron you recall what he was talking about when you were a junior or senior in high school.brHe’s molded me in a big way in dealing with adversity."

Academically, Davis is majoring in finance and accounting. He hopes to end up somewhere in the corporate world after graduation. He said he chose Kansas State because of its similarities to Southlake - a family atmosphere and teammates he can relate to. He looks back fondly at his days growing up in his hometown and thanked his parents and the community for all of the continued support.

"Southlake definitely was the breeding ground," he said. "The districtbrand everything has bred successful people so far. Not just athletics, but peoplebracademically. We’re one of the top schools in the state and country, as well. It's just a breeding ground for successful people. My goal, my parents and teachersbrand everyone always had, was to be one of those successful people."

Photo courtesy of Kansas State Athletics.