Davis' path to Gaston College started when he chose to focus on basketball
Growing up in the city that is home to the College Football Hall of Fame, Atlanta's Damon Davis grew up thinking that would be his career path.
Instead, an injury changed Davis' career path, and a chance meeting at a workout facility eventually led him to be a part of Gaston College's restarted basketball program.
"In high school, my first sport was football and not basketball," Davis said. "After high school, I went to a prep school called The Skill Factory (TSF) in Atlanta - and my path changed from football to basketball."
Davis' switch in sports has been Gaston College's gain as he has been a top scorer, rebounder, passer and defender for the Rhinos through the first 11 games of the season.
"Damon has had a lot of really nice games for us offensively and defensively," Rhinos head coach David "Dickey" Nutt said of Davis, who averages 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. "He really pushes the basketball on offense. And defensively, we've all had some good moments but Damon is who has stood out the most."
Davis' athleticism was developed playing for Atlanta's Lakeside High Vikings from 2014 to 2018. A 6-foot-2, 175-pound high school wide receiver and cornerback in football, Davis played four years on the varsity. Among his teammates were current Carolina Panthers practice squad offensive tackle Mike Horton.
In basketball, Davis was a guard and forward who played three seasons on the varsity and averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20 games as a senior for Lakeside.
Colleges were most impressed with Davis' football skills as LSU, Cincinnati, Auburn and Georgia Tech showed interest in him before a hip injury limited him to three games as a senior.
After his senior season and the year at TSF, Davis began his college career at St. Petersburg, Fla. for two seasons. For the Titans, Davis averaged 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a freshman in the 2019-20 season and 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a sophomore in the 2020-21 season.
When the NCAA and NJCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility for this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis had received offers from Sam Houston State, some NCAA Division II schools and other junior colleges before a tip from a trainer at a workout facility led him in the direction of Nutt and Gaston College's basketball program restart for the first time in 50 years.
"When I talked to coach Nutt and (associate head) coach (Jamie) Rosser, I thought this was a great opportunity for me," Davis said.
Once at Gaston College, Davis said he and his teammates have quickly bonded and formed a chemistry that grew stronger with a 6-0 start to the season.
Davis is one of the Rhinos' most versatile players in that he can initiate the offense, score from the post or the perimeter and guard virtually every position defensively.
Defensive intensity has been a hallmark of Gaston College's team this season - and it's an identity Davis says has been borne of intense practice sessions at the First United Methodist Church gymnasium in Gastonia.
"I think a lot of us push each other in practice," Davis said. "We go after each other every day, which I think makes us better. Then in the games, we keep pushing each other to do better."