Yesterday's edition of our Spotlight Series focused on Derrick Rodgers, a major factor for the Sun Devils defense in the 1996 season. With 58 days until the season opener against Northern Arizona, we keep the focus on the defense and honor the career of Dexter Davis.
A 2005 graduate of Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Davis was a well-regarded prospect, ranked as the No. 14 player in Arizona's 2005 class according to Rivals. Dexter had interest from Pac-10 rivals Arizona, Cal and UCLA, but ultimately committed to Arizona State in November of 2004.
After redshirting his freshman season as a member of the scout team in 2005, Davis jumped right in to a starting role in 2006, being the only redshirt freshman to start on either side of the ball for the opener against Northern Arizona. Davis rewarded Coach Dirk Koetter's faith in him by leading the team in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (10.5), recording the most sacks by a Sun Devil freshman since Terrell Suggs had 10.0 in 2000.
He also forced a team-high three fumbles, which led all Pac-10 freshmen in that category. His 40 tackles (26 solo) led all Sun Devil defensive linemen and earned him Pac-10 All-Freshman and honorable mention Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News, as well as the Bill Kajikawa Sun Devil Award for the best freshman player.
Coming in to the 2007 season, the Devils moved on from Koetter, bringing in Dennis Erickson, but Davis remained a mainstay on the defensive line. Davis once again led the Sun Devils with 10.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, totaled 33 tackles (21 solo), and added three more forced fumbles to his all-around excellent defensive play. After helping the Devils to a share of the Pac-10 title, Davis ended his season by receiving Second-Team All-Pac-10 honors.
2008 ended in another double-digit sack total for Davis. Leading the Devils in sacks for a third straight season, his 11.0 sacks ranked top-three in the Pac-10 for the second consecutive season. He once again led the team in tackles for loss (15.0), finishing the season with a total of 40 tackles (25 solo) and two forced fumbles. Despite a down season for the Devils after an appearance in the 2007 Holiday Bowl, Davis was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection, and along with Mike Nixon was one of two Sun Devils to earn First-Team All-Pac-10 honors according to Phil Steele.
Davis returned for his senior season in 2009 and was voted a team captain with Mike Nixon and Shawn Lauvao. He wrapped up his career with 23 tackles (13 solo), 6 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and recorded his only career interception on October 10th against Washington State. He received all-conference recognition for the third straight season, being the only Devil to be named First-Team All-Pac-10 for the 2009 season. His 50 starts rank as the most starts by any player in Arizona State history, starting every game in all four seasons.
Davis would go on to be drafted in the 7th round (No. 236 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks. In his 16 game NFL career he recorded 13 tackles (10 solo), one sack and one fumble recovery before being waived by the Seahawks before the 2013 season. He would make one more attempt at professional football in 2014 with the Toronto Argonauts, appearing in three games and recording one tackle. He announced his retirement from football in 2015.
All throughout his Sun Devil career, Davis was a symbol of consistency, posing a dangerous threat to any offense that stood against him. He still ranks No. 3 all time in career sacks with 31, as well as top-10 in tackles for loss with 45. In honor of his outstanding play, he is our pick for today's Spotlight Series.