Vontae Davis

At 35 years old, Vontae Davis has this physical status:

Vontae Ottis Davis (born May 27, 1988) is a former American football cornerback who played for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football at Illinois, and was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

He made two Pro Bowls in his career.

Davis retired from the NFL in the middle of the Bills' second game of the 2018 season, removing himself from the game at halftime.

Early years

Davis attended Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., where he was a letterman in football and track. He played football as a cornerback and wide receiver. During his senior season, he recorded 38 tackles and eight interceptions and achieved many awards and honors including Washington Post first-team All-Metro, PrepStar All-American, DCIAA West first-team All-Conference, and D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year.

In track & field, Davis was one of the district's top sprinters. As a senior in 2006, he recorded personal-best times of 10.97 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.78 seconds in the 200-meter dash at the DCIAA East/West Championships, placing first in both events. He also recorded a 4.40-second 40-yard dash and a 33-inch vertical jump.

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Davis was ranked as the No. 33 cornerback prospect in the nation.

Personal life

Vontae is the younger brother of former San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, & Washington Redskins' tight end Vernon Davis. In June 2009, several media outlets incorrectly reported that Davis was stopped and arrested for traffic infractions in Champaign, Illinois. The incident turned out to be the result of identity theft after Davis's wallet was stolen. In June 2015, Davis married his girlfriend Megan Harpe. As of September 2019, Davis is CEO of a holistic wellness spa that opened in October 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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College career

Davis preferred Illinois over Maryland, Michigan State, and Virginia. Davis had a great rookie season for the Fighting Illini, with 30 tackles and one intercepting one pass. He was selected by The Sporting News, Scout.com, and Rivals.com to be among the first teams to represent the United States in the United States and Rivals.com, and also the Battle Illini's Rookie of the Year. He appeared in all 12 games, including 13 in the Rose Bowl against USC, and was tied for third in the Big Ten with four interceptions. He announced that after his junior season, he would forego his senior season and join the 2009 NFL Draft.

Professional career

Davis completed all of the combine and positional drills at the Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Scout Combine and Positional drills. Davis appeared at Illinois' pro day on March 18, 2009, and opted to perform the majority of combine drills. He ran faster times in the 40-yard dash (4.40s), 20-yard dash (2.52), and 10-yard dash (1.48s), as well as adding height to his vertical leap (37.5") than ever before. Davis was expected to be the first or second round picks by NFL draft analysts and scouts at the conclusion of the pre-draft process. DraftScout.com named him as the third best cornerback prospect in the draft.

Davis was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round (25th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. Davis was the second cornerback drafted behind Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins and was the first of two cornerbacks the Dolphins selected in the first two rounds, as well as Utah's Sean Smith, who was drafted in the second round (61st overall).

The Miami Dolphins signed Davis to a five-year, $10.25 million contract, with $7.43 million promised and a signing bonus of $500,000.

Davis played for a starting cornerback against Eric Green and Sean Smith during training camp. Davis was the fourth cornerback on the Dolphins' depth chart to start the regular season, behind Will Allen, Sean Smith, and Nathan Jones.

During the Miami Dolphins' season-opener to the Atlanta Falcons, he made his first appearance in the league and made a solo tackle. In the fourth quarter, Davis made his first appearance on wide receiver Michael Jenkins for a three-yard loss. After the Miami Dolphins' Week 3 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Davis tied Nathan Jones on the depth chart. During a 38–10 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, Davis tied three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and his first interception for a touchdown. At the end of the second quarter, he intercepted quarterback Trent Edwards' pass attempt, which was originally meant for Josh Reed and returned it for a 23-yard touchdown. Davis made his first appearance on November 1, 2009, replacing Will Allen, who was put on injured reserve after tearing his ACL the previous week. During their 39–25 victory over the New York Jets in Week 8, he recorded a season-high seven combined tackles and two pass deflections. During a 27-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 9, he recorded a season-high six solo tackles, split up two runs, and intercepted a pass by Tom Brady. He had 51 combined tackles (47 solo), 11 pass deflections, and four interceptions in 16 games and nine starts in 2009. As a rookie, Davis led all defensive backs on the team in tackles. Davis was selected on Pro Football Weekly's annual All-Rookie team.

Davis was named the No. 1 starting cornerback on the depth chart when he arrived in training camp. Davis, along Jason Allen and nickelback Nolan Carroll, has officially named Davis as the starting cornerback for the regular season.

In the Miami Dolphins' season-opener against the Buffalo Bills, he made two solo tackles and deflected a pass. During a 14-ten victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Davis had six solo tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Brett Favre. "Number 21, I felt like," Vikings quarterback Brett Favre said after the game, "I felt like it was one of the best corners in this league, especially because no one knows about." In the Dolphins' 27–10 loss at the Baltimore Ravens on November 7, 2010, Davis had a season-high seven combined tackles and a pass deflection. Davis finished the 2010 season with 54 combined tackles (46 solo), 12 pass deflections, and an interceptor in 16 games and 15 starts.

Mike Nolan, a defensive coordinator, and Sean Smith, a starting cornerback, have kept Davis as a starting cornerback to start the season. Davis played in the Miami Dolphins' season-opener against the New England Patriots and collected four total tackles before losing by cramps. In the Dolphins' 23-13 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 2, he had six solo tackles in the Dolphins' 23–13 loss. He suffered in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury and was out for the next two games (Weeks 3–4) In Week 14, he made four solo tackles and fired quarterback Carson Palmer for his first career sacking as the Dolphins defeated Oakland 34-14. After falling to a 4–9 record on December 13, 2011, the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Tony Sparano. Todd Bowles, the offensive backs coach, was named interim head coach for the last three games. In the Dolphins' 30–23 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Davis had five combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted two passes by Ryan Fitzpatrick. The interceptions was his first multi-interception game in his career. He had 43 combined tackles (39 solo), nine pass deflections, four interceptions, and a suspension in 12 games and 12 starts in the 2011 season.

Davis, as a starting cornerback, and Sean Smith, were slated for training camp, but Richard Marshall and Nolan Carroll followed him, but Nolan Carroll came in as a starting cornerback. He was surpassed on the depth chart by Marshall during camp, and he was promoted to being the third cornerback on the depth chart. Following his promotion, he was battling Nolan Carroll for his first-team nickelback.

The Miami Dolphins traded Davis to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for their second round pick (54th overall) and a conditional sixth round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft on August 26, 2012. The Miami Dolphins selected second round pick in the trade to draft cornerback Jamar Taylor, but they did not receive a conditional sixth round pick after Davis did not receive more than 65% of the Colts' defensive snaps in 2012.

Davis, Head Coach Chuck Pagano, and Jerraud Powers joined Davis in a starting cornerback for the regular season. In their 41-22 loss, he made his Indianapolis Colts regular season debut and scored five solo tackles in their season-opener at the Chicago Bears. Davis was out for two games (Weeks 5–6) due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 3. Davis made one tackle before leaving the Colts 19–13 victory over the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter on October 28, 2012, after injuring his knee. For the next four games (Weeks 9–12), his injury sidelined him. During a 27-23 victory over the Tennessee Titans, he collected eight combined tackles, broke up a pass, and fired quarterback Jake Locker. During a 29-17 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 15, Davis made a season-high nine solo tackles. During a 28-16 victory in Week 18, Davis collected five solo tackles, three pass deflections, and intercepted two passes by Matt Schaub on December 30, 2012. He had 51 combined tackles (46 solo), seven passes defensed, three interceptions, and a sack in ten games and ten starts for the season.

The Indianapolis Colts finished second in the AFC South with an 11-5 record and claimed a wildcard berth. In the AFC Wildcard Game, Davis played his first playoff game as the Colts lost 24–9 to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens.

Davis, the offensive coordinator, was retained as the No. 1 by defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. To start the season, there is a starting cornerback, as well as Greg Toler and nickelback Darius Butler. During their 37–3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Davis had a season-high two pass deflections, three solo tackles, and made an interception. In the Colts' 19–9 loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 6, on October 14, 2013, he had a season-high seven combined tackles. He finished the 2013 season with 46 combined tackles (41 solo), 12 pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.

With an 11–5 record, the Indianapolis Colts finished at the top of their division. Davis got off to a winning 45-44 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on January 4, 2014, and he had three combined tackles. In the AFC Divisional Round's 43–22 loss at the New England Patriots, he made one tackle this week. Davis received an overall rating of 86.0 from Pro Football Focus, the sixth highest grade in all qualifying cornerbacks in 2013.

Davis signed the Indianapolis Colts to a four-year, $39 million deal with $20 million guaranteed on March 11, 2014.

To kick off the 2014 regular season, Davis and Greg Toler were the Colts' starting cornerback tandem. During a 33–28 victory over the Houston Texans on October 9, 2014, Davis recorded a season-high five combined tackles and a pass deflection. In Week 12, he made two solo tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interceptor for 42 yards, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 23–3. Davis continued his offensive play with two combined tackles and two pass deflections before losing the Colts' 49-27 victory over the Washington Redskins in the second quarter after suffering a concussion. When trying to tackle running back Roy Helu, he sustained the concusion and remained on the ground for several minutes before walking off the field on his own will. He remained in the Colts' concussion program and was inactive for the Cleveland Browns' victory on Week 14 (week 14). Davis was selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl on December 23, 2014, according to the paper. Davis finished the 2014 season with 42 combined tackles (35 solo), a career-high 18 pass deflections, and four interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts. He also led the NFL in lowest opposing passer rating (38.8) and finished with a 95.1 overall rating, the second highest overall grade among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2014.

With an 11-5 record and a AFC Championship, the Indianapolis Colts advanced to the AFC Championship before being defeated 45–7 by the New England Patriots, who eventually captured Super Bowl XLIX. In the Colts' 24-13 victory over the Denver Broncos, Davis had eight combined tackles and a career-high five pass deflections.

During a 27–21 loss to the New Orleans Saints on October 25, 2015, Davis recorded a season-high six combined tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception. Davis intercepted a pass by Cam Newton in the Colts' 29–26 loss to the Carolina Panthers this week. He had 48 combined tackles (38 solo), 16 pass deflections, and four interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts on the season. Davis was drafted to the 2016 Pro Bowl as a replacement for Chris Harris Jr., who was playing in Super Bowl 50 as a Denver Broncos fan. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall rating of 86.9 and ranked third in all qualifying cornerbacks in 2015.

After finishing with an 8–8 record in 2015, the Indianapolis Colts fired defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on January 5, 2016. Ted Monachino, the defensive coordinator, kept Davis as the No. No. 1 on the team. 1 starting cornerback, as well as Patrick Robinson, are off to a good start this season. Davis was sidelined for the first two games of the regular season after spraining his ankle in the Colts' first preseason game. During a 26-23 loss to the Houston Texans on October 16, 2016, Davis recorded a season-high five combined tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception. In the Colts' 33-25 loss to the Oakland Bros in Week 16, he had a season-high five solo tackles and missed a pass. He finished the 2016 season with 37 total tackles (34 solo), ten pass deflections, and an interception in 14 games and 14 starts. Davis received a overall rating of 47.3 in 2016.

Davis was selected as a starting cornerback along with Rashaan Melvin in training camp. During the preseason, he sustained a groin injury and was sidelined for the first three games of the regular season (Weeks 1–3). In the Colts' 46-18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on October 1, 2017, he played in his first game of the season and recorded a season-high six solo tackles.

During a 24–23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, Davis collected four combined tackles and a pass deflection. The Indianapolis Colts had two teams contact the Indianapolis Colts about possible trade for Davis prior to the game. During the Colts' Week 9 victory over the Houston Texans in what he described as a non-injury related coaching pick, head coach Chuck Pagano benched Davis in favour of rookie Quincy Wilson. Davis expressed his displeasure with his ride with the Colts after they refused to allow him to travel with the team to Houston. Davis made the decision on November 8, 2017, putting him out of action for the remainder of the season. Davis was released on November 9, 2017 by the Indianapolis Colts. Davis finished his truncated 2017 season with 21 total tackles (16 solo) and two pass deflections in five games and five starts. Davis received an overall rating of 45.2, which was ranked 103rd out of all qualifying cornerbacks in 2017.

Davis agreed to a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills worth up to $5 million, with $3.5 million guaranteed on February 26, 2018.

Davis pulled himself out of action during the first half of the Los Angeles Chargers' September 16, 2018 game, saying he was "done." It was not immediately clear whether he wanted to retire or simply leave the game, according to head coach Sean McDermott's tweet. Davis also confirmed that he had resigned following the game by issuing a tweet announcing his departure. Davis' decision was initially not accepted by his teammates and later ridiculed in the media.

Davis later explained that his sudden departure was due to a sudden realization that football was no longer what he was supposed to be doing, and that "leaving was therapeutic."

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