Auburn Defensive press conference

Auburn corner back Chris Davis (11) talks to the media during Auburn's BCS National Championship defensive press conference Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, in Newport Beach, Calif. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

NEWPORT BEACH, California – Chris Davis III is already well on his way to becoming the spitting image of his father.

Only three years old, the little Davis likes to mimic all his father’s moves, taking a tiny ball and heading upfield, recreating moments that have brought Auburn fans to their feet and sent 85,000 roaring.

His father cherishes those moments.

A little hyper, a lot like most 3-year-olds, the son can be hard to keep on the phone for very long before he bounces back into his home in Birmingham, heading for the video games and highlights he loves.

That’s why those moments, with his son right there in front of him, a tiny version of himself, dipping and darting past imaginary defenders, mean so much.

“I try to keep him around me a lot,” Davis Jr. said. “It’s an honor just to see my child grow up in front of my eyes.”

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Auburn cornerback Chris Davis returns Alabama's missed field-goal attempt 100-plus yards to score the game-winning touchdown in the Iron Bowl. (Dave Martin / Associated Press)

Davis never got a chance to know the man who gave him his name. When he was two years old, his father was shot and killed by two men in Birmingham.

Davis was too young to even put together a clear memory of his father’s face.

For a long time, any mention of his dad brought on pain too sharp for a kid to bear.

“My mama didn’t really talk about it,” Davis said. “I always used to hear about it from my grandma. … My grandma kind of made me stop wanting to come around, because every time I came around, she used to talk about my dad, and it used to bring tears to my eyes.”

Without his father around, Davis leaned on his mother, Janice Brown, his aunt Michelle and his grandmother Edith, all on his mother's side.

Under tough circumstances, those three taught Davis right from wrong, working hard to provide for him.

And early in life, Davis dedicated himself to his family.

“I wasn’t sure where I was going to end up but I always knew I wanted to play college football,’ Davis said. “I really was trying to better my living, like my Momma’s conditions and I knew I was the only kid that was going to be able to do so.”

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Davis started playing football at seven years old, for a team nicknamed the Seminoles, and fell in love with the game early.

By the time he arrived at Woodlawn as a junior – his first high school, Hayes, was shut down when Davis was a sophomore – he’d grown up a lot, matured into the kind of kid who instantly took charge when he arrived at his new school.

His high school coach, Bruce Breland, immediately realized he had somebody special under his command.

“He did a great job of not allowing the external factors there in the Birmingham city schools to pull him in a negative direction,” Breland said. “And there were a lot of factors there that could do that, because there wasn’t a great support system there in the school or in the community.”

In an environment where Breland saw other kids get derailed by dropping out of school, not going to class, drugs and the disadvantage of growing up with first-hand experience with crime.

Davis, according to Breland, had uncommon focus, refusing to let any of those negative influences derail the goals he’d had for so long.

Auburn corner back Chris Davis (11) listens during Auburn's BCS National Championship defensive press conference Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, in Newport Beach, Calif. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

“Chris knew that he wanted to play ball, and he wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way,” Breland said. “What’s really outstanding about him is that he expected that of the people around him. If you were going to be in his circle, you were going to go to class.”

On several occasions, Breland heard Davis demand an explanation from friends who missed classes, and his star player backed it up by doing great work in the classroom himself.

And when he stepped onto the football field – he also played basketball, teaming with current Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe – Davis shined.

Davis was a terror at Woodlawn, racking up 1,621 total yards and 877 rushing yards as a senior. A little-known player in most SEC circles, Davis was something of a legend to those who knew Birmingham high school football.

Former Fairfield coach Jim Vakakes, who coached against Davis three times, remembers seeing one of his players knock Davis out briefly, only to watch him come back into the game two plays later.

“He did everything, he played some quarterback, some slot, he was a heck of a kick returner,” Vakakes said. “He is one tough cookie, I promise you that.”

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Despite his high school career, Davis only drew a little interest from SEC schools, in part because he never played the modern recruiting game.

Davis didn’t go to many camps, and Woodlawn, according to Davis, wasn’t one of the state’s power schools.

In the end, he chose Auburn, then immediately burst onto the scene as a special-teamer and defensive back for the 2010 team that won the national championship.

Davis was knocked out of the BCS title game against Oregon on the opening kickoff after suffering a high ankle sprain that served as a preview of his toughest obstacle since arriving at Auburn.

Staying healthy. Named a starter as a sophomore, Davis battled shoulder and ankle injuries, then suffered a concussion as a junior that robbed him of the middle of the season.

When he suffered another high ankle sprain early this season, Davis felt a little frustrated, his dream of taking football even further seemingly set back because of forces outside his own control.

Older, a little wiser, Davis spent two games on the sideline, helping the defensive coaches teach the younger players the entire time.

“It was hard watching as a competitor, because I wanted to be out there with my team and help those guys win,” Davis said. “I had to be a player/coach on the side lines and at practice. Motivate the guys to want to get better, and tell them that we still got a chance.”

In the process, Davis has been the team leader for an Auburn group that has brought him back to the same game he was injured in the first time.

This time, Davis is planning to be on the field for more than just the first play.

"I hope I get to the second play," Davis joked. "I'm not worried about that at all. Hopefully it don't happen again but if it do, then so be it."

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In another, oft-repeated twist to the story, Davis finally got his chance to touch the ball again.

Ever since Davis arrived on campus, Breland – and Vakakes, a big Auburn fan – along with anybody else who had seen Davis with the ball in his hands, kept lobbying the coaching staff to give Davis a return job.

Gus Malzahn and Scott Fountain finally gave him the chance.

And the rest is now as well-known as any story in Auburn history.

The Kick Six, the play that immediately immortalized Davis into Auburn and Iron Bowl history, is all anybody wants to talk about anymore.

“That really skyrocketed his college career,” defensive end Dee Ford said. “That was the biggest play ever, you know, and especially for him. I'm so happy for him and his future has really just propelled with just that one play.”

Davis, the team’s leader in tackles and an All-SEC cornerback, isn’t so sure about all the attention being paid to that play.

Even now, a month and a half later, Davis spent most of his Friday morning in front of reporters being peppered by questions about the return, a play he’s tried to put in the rearview mirror.

“The return, that was a wonderful play but I kind of put that behind me,” Davis said. “We’re looking forward, we got one more game left and it's the biggest game in college football and we’re looking forward to winning that game. When the season is over I will be able to embrace that moment.”

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Davis no longer has trouble talking about his father.

A couple of years back, either his freshman year at Auburn or his senior year of high school, Davis got a letter from one of his dad’s killers, a letter of apology for what happened to the family, and Davis forgave him.

Auburn corner back Chris Davis (11) tackles Arkansas State wide receiver Julian Jones (7) Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Earlier this year, on the prompting of his mother and a few teammates, Davis added the Jr. back to the name on his jersey, a move meant to honor his dad.

Now, the team captain uses his story – growing up without a father, fighting to play college football – to help lead his teammates.

“He's been through a lot, and through all of that, he's still a great guy,” Ford said. “He's a great father. That's the one thing I really admire.”

In a week or so, Davis will get a chance to take his next step in football, preparing for the Senior Bowl and the start of the NFL Draft process.

So far, he says, he’s not thinking about his future. Auburn has a more pressing problem in the form of a Florida State team that has built its offense around throwing the ball, and Davis says he’s locked in on that task.

Davis boils things down to two tasks; football and family.

“For me, I just try to be a great father to my son. That’s what I look forward to and enjoy in life,” Davis said. “My family is the reason that I’m doing what I’m doing right now, to try to provide for my family.”

Maybe after Monday’s game, his son will have a new play to imitate.