When Melvin Davis takes the field for the first time in a Hawaii Rainbow Warrior uniform, he will fulfill a dream delayed by five years due to unimaginable circumstances.

A nightmare unfolds Davis was rated as a four-star running back by many recruiting analysts in the class of 2010 and had schools from all around the country come to Narbonne High School in Los Angeles to recruit him. He had been committed to Washington for nearly a year when signing day came around, but he did not qualify due to a technicality with a class that did not transfer.

The aspiring running back decided to take a year off from organized football to focus on fixing his grade and trying his chances at qualifying for a Division-I college again. But that year unfolded into a nightmare that was to no fault of his own.

In the summer of 2011, Davis was arrested when authorities alleged that he had been an accomplice to a murder case in Los Angeles - a case Davis said he had absolutely nothing to do with.

“They said I fled the scene with the alleged shooter,” Davis explained. “They weren’t saying I was a part of the crime, I wasn’t a part of any crime. They just said I left the scene with the alleged shooter… I didn’t have anything to do with what they were talking about”

The news came as a shock to those that knew Davis.

Tim Kaub, an assistant coach for Narbonne High School at the time, said he and the entire coaching staff knew Davis to be a leader in the locker room and one of his most dependable student-athletes.

Kaub learned the news at the practice field at Narbonne High School.

“When I got the word that it happened, we were like ‘What? There’s no way! There’s no way Melvin did that.’” Kaub said. “We’ve been wrong on guys before, but that one we knew.”

Those close to Melvin thought that the prosecutors believed Davis had information on the alleged murderer and did everything they could to get it. It was information he didn’t have, however. Davis had no prior records, but his bail was set at $1 million leaving him little options as the case ensued.

“His mom was trying,” Kaub said. “She knew he was innocent. She knew he was going to get the bond back. She was fundraising… We were all writing letters on his behalf. We were all doing what we could to convince them. His whole time here he was a model student. It was a real bad situation. A lot of kids couldn’t overcome that.”

The case dragged on and Davis waited patiently. From jail, he would often call his former coaches just to wish them luck before the game.

“It was really sad because it was my last year at Narbonne and he would call us before games and wish us luck,” Kaub said. “You could hear in his voice how sad he was.”

Davis had multiple documents supporting his innocence and phone records that showed him to be in a different city at the time of the incident. In all, he spent almost two years in jail before he finally received the news that he was waiting on - Davis’s case was dismissed.

“It was just a complete mess,” Davis said. “It was too much money being spent on my behalf just to get out because I had to get two lawyers just to prove I was innocent. Honestly, it was an unfortunate situation that I had to go through, but it made me a better man who I am today, mentally.”

Not only was Melvin not one to be involved in such an ordeal, he was a role model for his teammates who had experienced losing a teammate. Narbonne standout Dannie Farber was murdered just before he was set to graduate in the class of 2009. Davis dedicated his senior season to Farber and the team rallied around him to make the city championship as the No. 11 seed. Davis wore Farber’s retired number 4 for the championship game.

“It’s sobering,” Kaub said. “It’s a heartbreaking idea and he’s not a bad kid. He’s not out here selling drugs or gang-banging or any of that. He’s an inner-city kid, but he’s not a bad influence on other guys. He is really reliable. Never once did Melvin’s name come up as a problem.”

Back on the path to achieve a dream

There would certainly be things on the forefront of Davis’s mind other than football during his time he was falsely imprisoned, but he never let his dream of playing Division I football drift too far. He knew he was innocent and believed justice would eventually be served and was waiting for his opportunity to take to the gridiron once again.

“Honestly, when I was going through the whole process, I knew eventually I would get out,” Davis said. “Because I knew exactly that I didn’t have anything to do with what they were talking about. The whole process, it was just me never giving up. Just eventually when I get out, get my record clean and come to get my foot in the door by doing what I have to do in the classroom and on the football field to earn and be offered a scholarship.”

Shortly before Davis became a free man, coach Kaub of Narbonne High School had accepted a position as the offensive coordinator at Santa Monica College. One of the first calls Davis made was to Kaub and the duo reconnected.

“He called me and said, ‘I want to come play for you, it’s finally over.’ For me it was like the best Christmas ever,” Kaub said. “Not only did I get a great running back but he finally got through all that.”

But Davis had work to do to get back into form. Davis hadn’t played football in over three years, he wasn’t in shape and was just readjusting to civilian life. Davis weighed in at Santa Monica College at almost 260 pounds. Davis is a big running back at 6-foot-2, drawing comparisons to Brandon Jacobs, formerly of the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. Even the biggest running backs would have trouble pulling off playing at such a weight, however.

“I was out of shape,” Davis said. “I want to say I was around 250, 255. I was kind of heavy. I wasn’t really working out as much. That year, I only rushed for about 500 yards. I was really slow in camp. I didn’t have that breakaway speed, or that first-step, or anything for that matter. I was just powerful. It was a minor setback.”

About halfway through that first season, his play started to look more like the four-star recruit of his high school days, and his personality started to come alive as well.

“It took him a while, but about halfway through the season he started smiling again,” Kaub said. “When your soul gets pounded for that long, to go through adversity, he found a way through it.”

Davis was doing so well, in fact, that some major colleges started reaching out to Santa Monica College and Davis about recruiting him to their schools.

Unfortunate history continued to haunt

When schools began recruiting the new running back on the market, Davis and his coaches decided it would be best to be completely upfront about what had happened over the course of the past few seasons.

“I told them my situation and that the type of kid they were trying to portray me as, that’s not who I am,” Davis said. “Everybody who knows me knows I’m a good kid.”

But even being upfront and honest did not help his cause. Many coaches packed their bags and looked elsewhere for a running back after the word “jail” hit their ears.

“A lot of schools had backed out once I told them the situation,” Davis explained. “I would rather to be upfront and tell them because at the end of the day they’re going to find out because a lot of people do their research. So why not be upfront with something you’ve been through and been proven innocent. Why not?”

“I was clear with them, I tried to explain it, but everyone is in a CYA kind of situation,” Kaub said. “Everyone wants to cover their butts and no one wants to take a kid and have him flame out or do something crazy. But you only have to spend five minutes with Melvin and you know you don’t have to worry about him.”

Davis listed at least six power-five schools (who will remain unidentified) that sought out his talent, but dropped him from their boards after learning his background.

An Opportunity Arises

After several schools had discontinued contact with the hopeful running back, the Santa Monica College coaching staff received a call from Hawaii head coach Norm Chow. The coaches once again laid out Davis’s story with their fingers crossed hoping for a different result this time.

“I told them everything and Melvin told them everything,” Kaub said. “The story hadn’t changed, it was just which program would listen.”

Davis was thankful to see that Chow and the staff were willing to listen to his story with an open mind.

“When I talked to (Hawaii), they understood my situation,” Davis said. “They understood where I was coming from and they were willing to provide a second chance. And that doesn’t come around often.”

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors offered Davis his first scholarship in nearly five years when virtually every school on the West Coast was fighting for a chance to earn Davis’s commitment.

Davis committed to the Rainbow Warriors and took an official visit to make sure Hawaii was the right situation for him.

“The visit was amazing,” Davis said. “I enjoyed meeting each and every one of the teammates. Everything was what I expected and what I wanted at this level. That’s what sold me. Everything was just welcoming.”

In the last week before signing day, word started to spread that a former highly touted running back was set to join Hawaii. Two Pac-12 schools sent coaches to Santa Monica College in a last-minute effort to bring Davis to their schools.

“I was already sold on Hawaii at that point. There was no turning back,” Davis said.

“I became a fan of Hawaii because they were able to see what the story really was,” Kaub said. “I even told him, there are about 180 worse places to play college football than Hawaii. People save their pennies to go there for a week. He’s out there surfing. I told him, ‘Life gave you a second chance, don’t ruin it.’ You tell him all those things, but I never did tell him how impressed and proud of him I am. He’s a special kid and he’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

Davis had to wait about two weeks before he could join the team at Hawaii in fall camp due to clearinghouse issues, but that can hardly be seen as a setback after what he has been through. Kaub and Davis shared one more moment before he took flight over the Pacific.

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“He came up here for some transcript thing for Hawaii and he came and talked with us,” Kaub said. “It was just us joking like we always do. In those moments, you don’t appreciate all he’s overcome. When he left, I thought ‘Wow, I coached that kid five years ago in high school and he’s finally getting to where he should be.’ He’s finally a story I can hold up to other kids when they are losing hope.”

Davis will take the field for the first time on Sept. 3 when the Rainbow Warriors host Colorado. He hopes to take his dream a step further.

“Of course I want to go to the NFL, that’s my ultimate goal,” Davis said. “I’m planning to get my degree in sociology. But with my degree, I plan on opening a non-profit organization that targets troubled youth, battered women and addicts. Just a program that provides mostly resources, education courses, housing, everything that’s needed to get the individual back on their feet so they could live a prosperous and healthy life.”

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