Inside The Huskies

Russell Davis Rewarded by Big Ten for Big Night Against UCLA

Playing in his third Husky game, he collected 3 sacks in the 31-19 victory over the Bruins.

Dan Raley

Russell Davis II picks one of his three sacks of UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers, a performance that earned him Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Russell Davis II picks one of his three sacks of UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers, a performance that earned him Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

During spring football, edge rusher Russell Davis II often was the first University of Washington football player to walk out onto the field. The Arizona transfer would wander around Husky Stadium before his teammates joined him, looking all around as if envisioning what was coming next for him.

While it took him longer to get started than he likely envisioned, with an injury keeping him out of the UW's first eight games, the 6-foot-3, 234-pound junior can dare to dream again after picking up 3 sacks and causing a fumble and recovering it in a 31-19 victory over UCLA --by being named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week with Oregon sophomore outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, the league announced on Monday.

"Some people spend a whole year trying to get those stats," Husky coach Jedd Fisch said. "For him to get that in one night was nothing short of incredible."

Davis is the second UW player in three weeks to earn the Big Ten's top defensive award, joining Husky senior linebacker and team captain Carson Bruener, who was singled out by the conference for his performance in a 26-21 victory over USC in Montlake.

An Arizona transfer turned Husky, Davis got his hands on Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers in the first, second and fourth quarters, dropping him for losses of 2, 14 and 12 yards, while stripping the ball away and recovering it on the second sack.

The son of a former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman by the same name, Davis played in 23 games for Fisch at Arizona, all as a reserve, before following him to the UW.

Since joining the program, this defender with so much big-play ability has addressed the one thing that's held him back -- he's been on the light side -- by adding 20 pounds. The Huskies were able to redshirt him this fall, as well, with Davis reaching the maximum of four regular-season games when he and his teammates face No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Oregon next week.

"He's going to have two more full football seasons with us," Fisch said. "He's going to have an amazing offseason. If we can keep him healthy and continue to get him bigger and stronger, I believe he's going to be an impact pass rusher in this conference."

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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