The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2016
Sport: Football
Inducted: 2016
One of the most physically imposing offensive linemen in Longhorn history, 6-6, 365-pound Leonard Davis was a consensus first-team All-America honoree, Outland Trophy finalist and Lombardi Trophy semifinalist as a senior in 2000 who went on to play 12 years in the NFL and earn three Pro Bowl berths. He played in 45 career games at Texas, starting the final 20 of his career at left tackle. Davis started 22 of his last 26 games overall, missing time as a junior due to an ankle injury. Texas won nine games in each of his last three seasons and earned final national rankings of 12th (2000), 21st (1999) and 15th (1998). After playing defense as a true freshman in 1997, Davis moved to offensive tackle as a sophomore and helped pave the way for three consecutive 1,000-yard rushers in Hodges Mitchell (1,118, 2000/1,343, 1999) and Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams (UT record 2,124, 1998). Along with the ground game in 2000, Texas ranked 14th in the nation in passing and total offense, and eighth in scoring as Davis earned first-team All-America and first-team All-Big 12 accolades as a senior. Davis' junior year resulted in second-team All-Big 12 honors as he cleared the way for a 1,000-yard rusher Mitchell, while providing protection for the nation's 17th-ranked passing offense. The 1998 season produced what is currently the fourth-highest total offense per game average in UT history (second-highest at the time) with 470.6 yards per contest (No. 11 NCAA) that year. Williams won the Heisman Trophy, as the Longhorns' balanced attack ranked in the Top 25 in both passing (19th) and rushing (21st) and helped lift the team to a Cotton Bowl win over Mississippi State. Following his time at Texas, Davis went on to be selected second overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He was UT's fifth top-two pick in draft history and its first since Kenneth Sims went No. 1 in 1982. He played his first six seasons with the Cardinals, where he started every game of his career. Davis went on to start every game of his four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he earned three Pro Bowl selections following the 2007-09 seasons. He was second-team All-Pro in 2007 and finished his 171-game career (155 starts) playing in Super Bowl XLVII with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. A native of tiny Wortham, Texas, Davis was a Parade All-American and USA Today first-team All-American at Class A Wortham High School. Davis, who resides in Arizona with his wife and two daughters, for years played bass in the band Free Reign that he formed with fellow NFL lineman Marc Columbo and Cory Procter.
