It was a big year for a big man.
Stampeders defensive end Ja’Gared Davis set career highs in defensive tackles and interceptions, while recording seven sacks, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown in 2018. Because of his two-interception game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Davis was announced as a Player-of-the-Week for Week 11.
The 3rd-year man turned it up a notch in the playoffs and Grey Cup, adding another five tackles and two quarterback sacks. In his third chance in three years, Davis is finally a Grey Cup Champion.
“When I walked in the locker room and saw the smiles on everybody’s faces, that really hit me. To feel that sigh of relief, like we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, an unbelievable feat, and to do it as a team, put together a complete game in all phases – offence, defence, special teams … you couldn’t ask for no more.”
The Stampeders made a big move in the off-season, trading away Charleston Hughes and replacing him with Davis. While Hughes finished the season as the CFL’s sack leader with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Calgary’s 28-year old powerhouse missed only one game during the regular season and was a consistent force in the trenches all the way through the big game.
RELATED
“The thing that meant the most to me was running up and hugging my mom (Gayla) at the end of the game when she was on the field. My mom’s always been my No. 1 fan, she’s always been in my corner. She’d drive 12-plus hours to see me play, whether I was in high school, college, even in the CFL, NFL.
“So to have her there to celebrate this special moment with me and my brothers felt like the best feeling in the world.”
Check out some of our favourite Ja’Gared Davis photos from this past season!
YEAR IN PHOTOS: JA'GARED DAVIS
[1 of 24]
(CALGARY, AB - JUNE 28, 2018: The Calgary Stampeders won 24-14 against the Ottawa REDBLACKS at McMahon Stadium on Thursday. (Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Stampeders))
