The NFL has produced some of the most mercurial athletes on Earth, but we’ve never seen anything like Jordan Davis in full flight.
The Eagles defensive tackle produced a miracle walk-off touchdown on Monday morning as Philadelphia stole a 33-26 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
The defending NFL champion Eagles were on the ropes until the final play, when Joshua Karty had a 44-yard field goal attempt to win for the Rams, but Davis blocked the kick and returned it 61 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.
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The 25-year-old’s teammates were screaming in celebration as Davis took it all the way to the endzone as they improved their record to 3-0 this season.
It was an extraordinary display of athleticism from a player listed at 152kg and 1.98m.
It is only with data that the play can be fully appreciated.
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The NFL’s Next Gen Stats noted that Davis reached a top speed of 29.91 kmh during his dash.
It was the fastest speed by an NFL player over 150kg since 2017.
As first noted by NFL+ on X, Davis’ run of 61 yards is also a new record for the heaviest player in NFL history to return a blocked kick more than 50 yards.
TV networks all wanted a piece of Davis after the final play.
When asked about his record-breaking run, Davis said: “Look, man, I ain’t run that fast since my 40 (yard dash).
“So, I’m glad I got a touchdown, man.”
His comment about a 40 yard dash is a reference to his 2022 NFL Scouting Combine performance where he ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at 341 pounds. It instantly vaulted his name into first-round consideration for the 2022 NFL Draft.
According to NFL writer Nick Shook, it proved Davis is a “freak athlete”.
Davis was eventually selected 13th overall despite his lack of physical conditioning.
Davis had a mixed start to his career and was called out by former Cowboys offensive lineman-turned NFL TV analyst Brian Baldinger in January, 2024.
Baldinger said Davis looked “out of shape” and needed to shed a few pounds.
That is exactly what he has done this year.
According to NFL.com in July, Davis arrived to Eagles pre-season training camp looking remarkably svelte, showing up 26 pounds lighter and looking relatively chiselled.
Some NFL commentators called it a body “transformation”.
The Eagles made it known that they wanted to see more from Davis this year – and that is what he is delivering.
“That’s not saying that everything is completely different. I’m still the same Jordan Davis,” he said.
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“I’m still gonna be that anchor. I’m still gonna be that same player. But knowing that with this new weight I can do a lot more, I can move a lot more, like on passing reps, like I’m gonna be expected to add to that. That’s what’s been communicated to me from the top down, and honestly I’m here for it. I’m ready for it. I’m just ready to go.”
His performance on Monday dropped jaws around the NFL world.
The Rams had dominated the first half and led 26-7 in the third quarter before the Super Bowl champs scored the final 26 points of the game.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ two-point conversion attempt failed late in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles still led 27-26, setting the stage for the last-play field goal block.
That’s when Davis stepped up to steal it.
Hurts threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the last-play thriller.
Hurts completed 21-of-32 passes for 226 yards and ran for 40 more while Matthew Stafford threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a losing cause.
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