It’s called the trenches — referring to not-so-friendly territory.
Dominated by earthly giants, this is where the dirty work happens on a football field.

It is a place of colossal impact, where open space is hard to come by.
Strength is required for admission, while speed and determination are needed to survive.

This world of hurt, one many would feign to enter, is the place the ASU football team’s Dexter Davis proudly calls home.

In a game where noise and talk is commonplace, the junior defensive end leads with few words.

“I’m not the most outgoing vocal type of guy, so I just try to set example by doing what the coaches ask,” Davis said. “I just try to come out and practice and set a good example.”

Davis is far from the biggest defensive end to drop into a three-point stance, but size hasn’t kept him from becoming one of the better pass rushers in ASU history.

With nearly two seasons of football left for Davis to play, he is already fifth on the all-time Sun Devil sack list.

Numbers aren’t the best way to describe Davis’ motor on the field, though.

“He’s very explosive and gets into guys,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. “He’s not one of the biggest defensive ends we know, but he makes up for it with explosiveness, strength and an ability to run.”

Davis’ attributes are important to note because of the humility with which he carries them.

“He’s one of those guys who leads with his performance on the field,” said sophomore wide receiver Kerry Taylor.

At 252 pounds, Davis is relatively small for a defensive lineman, but too much weight kept him from playing football as a kid.

“I wanted to play football, but I was too fat, so they wouldn’t let me play,” Davis quipped.

Being too heavy to play Pop Warner football, Davis said he played primarily soccer and basketball growing up and did not put on football pads until he got to high school.

A product of Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Davis was a two-time state wrestling champion who also excelled at track and field in the discus.

After his older sister attended ASU, Davis knew that he wanted to be a Sun Devil.

“I wanted to stay close to home and play in front of my friends and family so when the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to take advantage of it,” he said.

The team he always longed to play for is now the one he leads with a quiet fierceness.

Davis has been added to various watch lists for prestigious national awards this season.
Davis gives little credence to this recognition, though, preparing for each down with the same routine.

“Those things are in the back of my mind a little bit, but I think more important than that is just coming out and preparing each week to get a win,” he said. “The individual stuff is nice but I always try to put the team first.”

While Davis is one who keeps things inside, it is what he pulls out that makes him a feared pass rusher.

“I think a lot of my drive just comes from within,” Davis said. “I have a desire to be the best and compete at the highest level so I just try to push myself in all aspects.

“I just want to come out here and be the best player I can be.”

Being the best player he can be will lead Davis, he hopes, to a career in the NFL.

His journey to that level, though, will be done with little talk along the way.

reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu.