A lifelong Redskins fan, Maryland defensive back Sean Davis both watched and emulated his game after Sean Taylor dating back to his University of Miami days.
As Sean Taylor quickly transcended up the ranks among the top safeties in football history, and quickly at that, Sean Davis watched from Washington, D.C.
Davis had been playing football since he was 7 years old, but Taylor always caught his eye.
Taylor is the reason for the way Davis approaches the game and why he wears No. 21 on the field.
He talked about Taylor's impact on his life on Saturday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
"I watched him ever since he was at Miami," said Davis, who recently completed a four-year career at the University of Maryland. "I always wanted to go to 'The U' back when they had the colored visors and all that stuff. I just loved how he imposed his will on people. They were scared to come across the field."
Taylor, of course, would leave school a year early to enter the NFL. He was selected by Davis' hometown Washington Redskins with the No. 5 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.
"Then when he was with the Redskins – I'm from Maryland so I'm a Redskins fan – and he wore No. 21 and his name was Sean, and I was like 'This dude is perfect. I just want to idolize myself after him,'" Davis said. "I just loved everything about him. I'm a quiet dude and he was real quiet to himself, just like me. I definitely love Sean Taylor."
Davis likely won't be taken in the same slot or even round as Taylor, but the 6-foot-1, 202-pound defensive back has qualities that can carry over to the NFL.
At the front of that is his experience and ability to play multiple positions. He spent his first three seasons at safety before playing cornerback last year.
In total, Davis tallied 319 tackles with seven forced fumbles and five interceptions for the Terrapins.
"I would say I'm more comfortable at safety just because I played there for three years at Maryland opposed to my one year, my senior year at corner. But I'm versatile," Davis said. "I have the quickness and speed to play corner and the size and strengths to play safety as well."
Davis also relishes any opportunity to lay down a massive hit.
"Come downhill, that's what I do," Davis said. "I just think the will to hit. I like imposing my will on people. I'm not the biggest guy, but I feel like I am one of the strongest guys out there. I just feel like I love hitting. I watched Sean Taylor my whole life. I emulate my play after him."
And if an NFL team needs Davis to jump into action right away even as a late rounder, like Kyshoen Jarrett did for the Redskins this past season, he'll be ready.
"I feel like I'm definitely very smooth in my pedaling, good weight distribution in my breaks," Davis said. "So I definitely feel like I'm pretty good breaking down field."
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