SI

Monday’s Hot Clicks: Vontae Davis Isn’t the First Bills Player to Retire Like That

Vontae Davis was just following in Kyle Orton’s footsteps.

Dan Gartland

Monday’s Hot Clicks: Vontae Davis Isn’t the First Bills Player to Retire Like That
Monday’s Hot Clicks: Vontae Davis Isn’t the First Bills Player to Retire Like That /

Vontae Davis was just following in Kyle Orton’s footsteps

monday-hot-clicks-vontae-davis-bills-retirement-kyle-orton.jpg
Getty Images

Veteran defensive back Vontae Davis pulled the most incredible exit in NFL history yesterday when he decided at halftime that he was calling it a career. He put on his street clothes, walked out of the stadium and decided to retire, right there. This is one of the Bills’ starting cornerbacks! 

Davis said later that he came to the realization during the first half that he didn’t belong on an NFL football field any longer and that he should just retire. (Buffalo was down 28–6, so maybe a few other players should have had the same epiphany.) He said he didn’t mean to disrespect his teammates but they clearly still felt disrespected.

“I don’t have nothing to say about Vontae. I’ll give him a little bit more respect than he showed us today as far as quitting,” defensive end Lorenzo Alexander told reporters.

“He didn’t say nothing to nobody,” Alexander added. “You know as much as I know. I found out going into the second half of the game. They said, he’s not coming out. He retired.” (This isn't the first time Davis has had a memorable departure from a team, either.)

The crazy thing is, Davis is actually the second Bills player to pull something like this in recent years. After having one of the best seasons of his career in 2014, Bills quarterback Kyle Orton sneakily retired the day after the season ended.

The “meeting” he referred to was with head coach Doug Marrone and GM Doug Whaley to tell them that he was retiring, and then he was gone. Just like with Davis, Orton’s decision took his teammates entirely by surprise. 

Try that the next time you get fed up with your job. Only tell the people who really need to know and then just slip off into the sunset. 

Marquette King goes after Jon Gruden

Content is unavailable

The Raiders are 0–2 in the second Jon Gruden era after losing to the Broncos in the final seconds yesterday and no one is happier about it than Gruden castoff Marquette King. 

Gruden traded King to Denver because he didn’t want a punter with a personality, even if he is one of the best in the league. Well, after beating Gruden on Sunday afternoon, King made a video for his social media accounts where he poked fun at Gruden (aka Chucky) and his $100 million payday. 

Here’s how North Texas pulled off that devious trick punt return

North Texas’s massive upset over Arkansas was fueled by this shockingly simple trick punt return. Keegan Brewer sliced through the Razorbacks for a 90-yard touchdown after simply acting like he had made a fair catch. 

SB Nation’s Alex Kirshner talked to Brewer and UNT special teams coach Marty Biagi about how they pulled it off. 

Was Brewer afraid it wouldn’t work and he’d get blown up?

“I was, definitely,” he told SB Nation. “But the punt that they kicked wasn’t a high one, so it wasn’t one where I’d be totally scared, where they’d just be surrounding me. So as soon as I caught it, I had a little bit of time to protect myself, which I was a little scared [about] before the play. But after that, once I had the ball, it was good.”

Bits & Pieces

Former NFL pass-rusher Shawne Merriman signed a deal with a bareknuckle boxing promotion. ... Dwyane Wade says he’s coming back for a 16th NBA season, and that it’ll be his last. ... Florida State’s social media slogan is #DoSomething, which is a little too on the nose when the Seminoles keep doing things like managing only 240 yards of total offense in a loss to Syracuse. ... Zane Gonzalez blew the game for the Browns and a bunch of angry Clevelanders sent angry tweets to the wrong Zane Gonzalez. ... Cam Newton was the victim of one of the dirtiest hits you’ll ever see. 

Ever wondered what Conor McGregor would look like if he could read?

The source of the Fitzmagic

Josh Allen’s family is really embracing the Buffalo experience

Browns fans setting reasonable goals

It might have actually been too modest a goal, if only the Browns had a competent kicker. 

Catch of the season, no doubt

No one is topping that over the next 15 weeks. 

Is there any more welcome sight in the NFL?

Truly America’s team

Hey Phil, how was your summer?

Simply unreal

Zlatan makes the Payet goal look like the easiest thing in the world

I don’t know how Zlatan Ibrahimovic keeps doing things like this at age 36 but I hope he never stops.

That’s not part of the job description

gettyimages-1034449664.jpg
Pedro Martins/AFP/Getty Images

Several players at a soccer game in Brazil had to push-start an ambulance after it came on the field to take one of the players away. 

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2vWAeIb3mo]

No joke, I saw a rat on the sidewalk five minutes before I saw this video

Future (current) Globetrotter

Why can’t all auto racing be trucks going over jumps?

Content is unavailable

A good song

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or ping me on Twitter. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

Published
Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

Home/Extra Mustard