'Bam Bam' Figures To Be A Key Contributor In This Year's Broncos Defense
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - Broncos linebackers Todd Davis and Corey Nelson are friends on and off the field, and both are aware of the competition that is about to take place at training camp between them.
"We both understand 'Let the best man win,'" Davis said on Xfinity Monday Live. "If we both come to work every day and give it our all, whatever guy steps up, we'll understand."
The two linebackers will be battling for the middle linebacker spot vacated by Danny Trevathan, who left the team in free agency and signed a deal with the Chicago Bears.
Davis, who goes by the nickname Bam Bam on social media, says he will be relying on his work ethic as the training camp battle gets going late next week.
"No matter what your name is or how big you are or big, strong, fast, I feel like I won't be outworked no matter who you are," he said.
Davis is entering his third year with the Broncos. He said he learned a lot in the supporting role he played on the NFL's No. 1 defense last year. A lot of that came from watching veterans like Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Chris Harris Jr.
"(I was impressed by) how well they knew the game. If you watched the games, sometimes it seemed like they were there before the quarterback was there. I feel like it's a testament to how much film that they watch and how much they study," Davis said. "So I think that's what I've tried to do this offseason is just watch a lot of film and know the game and kind of pick up on tendencies and things the quarterback wants to do."
And what about that nickname of his?
"I got it from my aunt," he told Michael Spencer on the CBS4 Sports show. "She said when I was little I used to run around the house just banging on stuff. So they got from the cartoon 'The Flintstones.'"
Davis has a similar story to that of teammate Brandon Marshall, who just signed a lucrative new contract with the Broncos and is the starter at the other middle linebacker spot. Davis was cut several times over a short period when he was trying to make it in the league. But, similarly to Marshall, he just kept fighting.
"I was just thinking I've got to do more," Davis said. "There's something I'm not doing, it's not enough. I have to do more in order to make the jump to stay on the roster."
Davis wore his Super Bowl 50 championship ring to Monday's show. He said he's gotten some great reactions to it from Broncos fans when he's out in public.
"It definitely gets lots of love. I've had everybody from grown men to babies kiss it. Everybody loves it. They've asked to wear it but I hear it's bad karma so I can't take it off," he said.
When the time does come to take it off, though, the team provided gold cases to the players for the rings to lie in.
