Retired NFL Star Vernon Davis Shares Life Lessons and How He Hopes to Inspire Others
Former NFL tight end Vernon Davis played in the league for 14 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos, and the Washington Commanders before retiring from the sport. After a successful career in football, he transitioned into acting and also recorded an album.
Now, Davis has written a memoir titled Playing Ball: Life Lessons from My Journey to the Super Bowl and Beyond. The book details his life journey and the aftermath of former 49ers coach Mike Singletary’s fiery post-game comments about Davis, which prompted him to transform his life for the better.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet caught up with Davis to talk about his memoir, other projects he has in the pipeline, and the current NFL season.
Davis reveals his initial reaction and what he learned after those comments aimed at him
In October 2008, following a game against the Seattle Seahawks, then-Niners head coach Mike Singletary didn’t hold back in his press conference about the team’s loss and specifically Davis’ actions.
Singletary sent the tight end to the locker room after a penalty for excessive celebration. He then went off about his young player during his post-game presser saying the team “can’t win with him” and described Davis as having a “me-myself-and-I attitude.” It was that speech that inspired Davis to make a change.
“At the time, I was upset. I was hurt and I felt like that was inappropriate,” Davis recalled when he first heard his coach’s blistering comments. “But then, after the fact, I had a chance to think about it and I said, ‘You know what I needed that.’ That’s exactly what I needed to get to where I am today. I’m elated that he was there as a part of my life [and] my journey because he definitely helped me in so many different ways.
“He was that spiritual outlet you needed. That everyone needed. He was a coach but he was also a God-fearing man and most of us [players] couldn’t relate to that … I listened to him and I paid attention. He had a different coaching style but he’s awesome. He was a great coach. He was very motivational and perfect for what we needed at the time.”
Davis added that the biggest thing he learned from Singletary, who wrote the introduction for his book, was “to put the team first, be selfless, and be that team player that you need to.”
What Davis wants others to take away after reading ‘Playing Ball’
Playing Ball is all about life lessons and positive changes that come out of real life and even tough experiences. Therefore, Davis hopes the book can help and inspire anyone going through a difficult time.
“After reading this book, I want people to feel like they can do anything and feel like they can make it. That’s what this book is about,” Davis explained. “It shows every step of the way I was resilient. I went from a boy out of the hood who looked like he didn’t have a chance at all to where I am now — from playing in the NFL and winning the Super Bowl to becoming an actor to making an album. That’s what it’s about.”
He continued: “As a human being living on this earth you can lose hope. You can feel like you’re not going to make it. You can become depressed, you can have panic disorder, you can be in a space where it feels nearly impossible for you to get out of.
“But then you pick up a book and you read about somebody’s life. Somebody that you know of or someone you may not know of but you know every page in that book is spot on. There are facts and there’s truth in those pages and you’ll find something in there that will resonate with you. And now you have hope. You feel like you can get back on track. And that’s what I want someone to take away when they read this book.”
Davis’ other projects and one team he thinks will make the Super Bowl this year
In addition to the release of his memoir, Davis also has a movie coming out called Please Don’t Feed the Children. It was directed by Destry Allyn Spielberg, who is the daughter of legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The apocalyptic thriller will premiere at the International Fantastic Film Festival on Oct. 11, 2024.
Davis is also working on a brand new podcast. So stay tuned for more details on that.
And when asked which team he thinks has a shot at winning the Super Bowl this year, he laughed and said: “The San Francisco 49ers.”
Playing Ball is available now and can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Hudson Bookseller, Books-A-Million, Target, and Walmart.
Fans can follow Davis and all his upcoming projects on Instagram and X @VernonDavis85.
