'Don’t Be Afraid To Be Different' Atlanta Falcons' Mike Davis Tells DeKalb Athletes

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — Atlanta Falcons running back Mike Davis and his teammate, linebacker Adetokunbo Ogundeji, talked to the the Stephenson High School football team Tuesday during a special visit, according to the DeKalb County School District .

Davis, who graduated from Stephenson in 2012, met with the high school players and answered their personal and career questions.

During his time at Stephenson, he led all running backs in DCSD with 1,928 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns during his senior season, according to the news release. He was also on the track and field team.

Davis said the one message he will give to all DCSD student-athletes is to never give up.

“Don’t be afraid to be different; go out there and chase your dreams,” he said. “If you don’t go out there and give your all, then you’ll never know how far you can go.”

The Stephenson graduate shared his athletic career trajectory and told the players what it took to be successful in the NFL.

He also stressed the importance of focusing in the classroom and having good grades.

“Grades are more important,” Davis said. “You can’t play football without the grades.”

He continued his academic and football career at the University of South Carolina. He was drafted into the NFL in 2015 in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers.

Davis’s visits came the same day that it was announced that he was the Falcons nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970 and was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton. Each NFL team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.

Read more at DeKalbSchoolsGA.org.