Eighteen months ago, then-second-year wide receiver Sam Davenport’s fast-blossoming football career was cut short.
His then-university, SFU, announced the termination of their football program — without consulting the players — after not being invited back to the NCAA at the end of the 2022/23 season. This marked the end of any Canadian college presence in the league, and for football athletes, it was crushing.
However, time heals and upon reflecting on his time at SFU, Davenport had more constructive takeaways than hard feelings.
“One of the big things that SFU had that UBC didn’t was the level of competition,” said Davenport.
“That level of competition was a tough step coming from a Canadian school out in Abbotsford. So knowing that I had to put in the work really shaped [me] in[to] the player I am today,” he said.
Fortunately, Davenport got a new beginning at the start of the 2023/24 season, when he joined the Thunderbirds, a U Sports team. On paper, a switch in regulations from American to Canadian rules spelled potential for an uncomfortable adjustment period. This wasn’t quite the case for Davenport.
“For the most part, I found it was a quite easy turnover. Coaching staff really helped me out with that,” he said. “I think the Canadian game, in my opinion, helps my type of play style.”
U Sports plays under CFL rules and is a faster-paced game on a wider field compared to the NFL rules played by NCAA schools. CFL rules also include the rouge — a way of scoring one point by kicking the ball into the end zone or if it goes out of bounds in the end zone. Davenport thrived in this environment, notching 745 yards and 5 touchdowns in his debut U Sport season.
“One of my favourite rules is probably the rouge ... I feel like it actually was a rule almost designed for me,” he said.
It wasn’t just Davenport’s work ethic that brought him to U Sports excellence. He said the transition to UBC was helped by the collective hunger and camaraderie among the entire squad.
“I think my teammates really helped … they’re just great guys,” said Davenport. “It’s so helpful to succeed on a team when we’re all close together, and especially with them being so welcoming.”
He has linked up particularly well with quarterback Garrett Rooker, who he has partly to thank for his success.
“[Rooker] and I are really good at thinking pretty similarly when it comes to on the field, and even off the field,” he said. “It’s a really cool thing to have, as a wide receiver, to have that connection with [the] quarterback.”
The prolific pair were instrumental in the T-Birds success last season. For the first time in eight seasons, the football team made it to the Vanier Cup — the national championship game. Despite being on the receiving end of heartbreak at the expense of the University of Montréal, Davenport learned from the experience and is bringing that knowledge to this season.
“We made it all the way to the Vanier [Cup] … it’s hard to get back to where we were. So major takeaways was just being thankful for what we were given and what we were able to accomplish as a team. I think because of these lessons, we’re in a great spot for what we can do this year.”
Right now, the T-Birds sit second in the conference and are looking strong, winning their last four games. Davenport leads the team in yards with 463 and 30 receptions. With only two games left before playoffs, Davenport’s success with the Thunderbirds is far from over.
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