Fifteen Questions for Davon Grayson

By W.A. Myatt
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

Davon Grayson (6-2, 196) looks to rebound in the 2014 East Carolina football campaign from a knee injury that ended a promising true freshman season in which he had 18 catches for 176 yards and four touchdowns in six games. The sophomore outside wide receiver is from the talent-rich Tidewater Virginia area, by way of Kings Fork High School.

Grayson is a health fitness specialist major and achieved a spot on the ECU Honor Roll for his academic endeavors during the 2013 fall semester.

He took time to talk with Bonesville after practice Tuesday evening.

Q: Favorite TV show?

A: Heroes.

Q: Favorite restaurant in Greenville?

A: I've heard Sup Dogs is good, I need to try that a little more.

Q: Did you feel more comfortable in this fall camp as opposed to your freshman year?

A: Definitely more comfortable this year. The big thing for me, I felt as if I had to come out and regain my speed and get a feel for the game again — how fast the game moves. This camp, I went into it knowing how fast the game was, but at the same time I didn't know how fast I was.

Q: What part of your game do you feel improved most this offseason?

A: I think my technique has improved a lot. I've improved a lot on the 'real' receiver things. My first year I didn't know exactly what to do, so I just went out there and did the things that God blessed me to do — being strong, being fast, going up and attacking the ball. Those were things I didn't have to train — I feel like you're born with that. At the time when I got hurt, I knew I needed to work on my technique more because only God knew how well my knee would heal. Now I'm back and I feel like I'm stronger and faster, with the technique that I didn't have my first year.

Q: What do you consider to be your biggest strength as a player?

A: I believe it's how I carry myself on the field. Not even from a receiver standpoint, but how I try to pick up my team. I think I'm a good player to have on your team because I always think team before myself. I try my best to boost the play of the players around me.

Q: How do you stay focused on North Carolina Central this Saturday, knowing the competition that comes after them in the following weeks?

A: I think that's the easy part. You have to attack every week one day at a time. I'm not looking ahead to the teams past this game, because the fact is, we have to play this game first. We can start this season off 0-1 if we're thinking about other teams. My mindset has been focused on them and I've been thinking about this game since the game that I went down hurt.

Q: How much has a guy like Justin Hardy helped in your development?

A: Justin, he's a quiet guy and I think the big thing for me was just how comfortable he was on the field. Regardless of what's going on in the game, he's cold as ice. He's a cool player, you can't ever tell what quarter it is with him. He won't ever look tired and he never looks like he doesn't know what to do. As my game matures, that's something I'm striving to be like.

Q: Who has been the most influential person in your life?

A: My dad. He installed a hard work ethic within me. Before him, I wasn't a good kid. He totally changed me, he moved me out of the bad situation that I was from. He totally changed my life and I owe him the world for that.

Q: How much did missing the latter part of last season motivate you this offseason?

A: It hurt me a whole lot when I went down seeing my teammates all going out there and having fun, and when I would I walk off the field I would hear fans say, "We still love you Davon," and stuff like that. I'm striving to stay healthy this year. I felt like I couldn't help my team out. I know for a fact I could've had a big impact on the back end of that year. This year, I'm going to try my best to do everything I can for my team.

Q: What are your personal goals for this season?

A: I just want to win a championship. With me, there's no stats or anything like that. I just want to be able to look at myself after every game and know I tried my very best and I left it all out there.

Q: How would you describe what was going through your mind after scoring your first touchdown in Dowdy-Ficklen?

A: To be honest, I didn't know if I scored. I don't know how to describe it. I just looked up and saw the crowd and everything was so loud. I'd never experienced anything like that. It was definitely the peak of my freshman year — that's when I could calm down and play my game. When I scored the two after that, I was on cloud nine.

Q: Do you have any superstitions or rituals that you do before games?

A: I always run down to the end of the field and get on one knee and talk to God on my own, before I play. I'm also real meticulous about my hands. My gloves — I wipe my hands all the time. During games, you'll see me rub my gloves together all the time, just so I know my grip is right. I'm real meticulous about that.

Q: What do you enjoy doing besides playing football?

A: I love music. I try my best to keep myself in touch with God. I love calling back home and hearing how my family is doing, and outside of that, it's really all about football. I love football. I eat, sleep and breathe football.

Q: How excited are you to play in the AAC?

A: I'm very excited. I don't really get into all the hype about the new conference and all that. We're playing the very same game we've been playing since we were kids. It's a good thing that we'll be on TV more. Hopefully, it will bring good things to our program. It will bring in more recruits, more great things for our school. This is a great school and just to get it out there more is a blessing.

Q: What is your favorite thing about East Carolina University?

A: I love the fans. I love how it feels to come out hearing 'Purple Haze' and hearing the crowd screaming for you. The fans are so diehard, I've never seen anything like it.

E-mail W.A. Myatt.

PAGE UPDATED 08/27/14 03:16 AM