Demario Davis Bio
Demario Davis is an American professional football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was born on January 11, 1989, in Collins, Mississippi, and has become one of the most respected defensive leaders in the league. Over more than a decade in the NFL, he has built a reputation for hard hitting tackles, steady leadership in the locker room, and community work off the field.
Selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft, Demario Davis later played one season for the Cleveland Browns before returning to the Jets and then joining the New Orleans Saints in 2018. Along the way, he earned multiple All-Pro selections, Pro Bowl honors, and the Bart Starr Award for his character and leadership.
Early Life and Background
Demario Davis was born on January 11, 1989, in Collins, Mississippi. His mother gave birth to him when she was a teenager, and his father served as a career enlisted soldier in the United States Army and a combat veteran. Growing up in a tight knit family with strong ties to the military helped shape the discipline that would later define his playing career.
Davis attended Brandon High School in Brandon, Mississippi, where he starred as a three sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. In football, he played mostly wide receiver as a sophomore and junior, helping lead the program to its 14th playoff appearance in 16 years with a 7-5 record. As a senior, he recorded 81 tackles, six interceptions, and one sack, while also catching more than 30 passes for 386 receiving yards and four touchdowns, earning a spot on the Clarion Ledger All-Metro team.
He also started on the Brandon basketball team and competed as a high jumper with the varsity track and field squad, showing the kind of overall athleticism that later caught the attention of college scouts.
Path to the NFL
After high school, Demario Davis chose to play college football for the Arkansas State Red Wolves. He recorded a team leading 80 tackles as a sophomore and continued to grow into a defensive leader. During his junior and senior seasons, he earned several all-conference honors, including First-team All-Sun Belt recognition in 2010 and 2011.
Davis attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, and completed all of the combine and positional drills. On March 27, 2012, he also took part in Arkansas State’s pro day, posting a 4.52 second 40-yard dash, a 38.5 inch vertical jump, and several other strong numbers. Most draft analysts projected him as a third round pick, and DraftScout.com ranked him as the ninth best outside linebacker prospect in the 2012 class.
Demario Davis Career
Early Career with the New York Jets (2012-2015)
The New York Jets selected Demario Davis in the third round, 77th overall, of the 2012 NFL draft and signed him to a four-year rookie contract. He began his rookie season as a third string backup weakside linebacker behind veterans Bart Scott and Josh Mauga, but earned his first career start in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. He finished 2012 with 36 combined tackles and a fumble recovery in 16 games and three starts, with 15 of those tackles coming on special teams.
Davis moved into a starting inside linebacker role in 2013 under defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, who shifted the Jets from a base 4-3 defense to a base 3-4 defense. That season, he recorded his first career sack against the Buffalo Bills and his first career interception against the New Orleans Saints, finishing with 107 combined tackles in 16 starts. He continued to start every game in 2014 and 2015, including a 3.5 sack season in 2014 and a 90 tackle campaign in 2015, before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Cleveland Browns Stint (2016)
In March 2016, the Cleveland Browns signed Demario Davis to a two-year contract and immediately named him a starting inside linebacker alongside Christian Kirksey. He made his Browns debut in the season opener at the Philadelphia Eagles and recorded seven combined tackles in a loss. He later added a sack of quarterback Joe Flacco in a Week 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Davis finished his only season in Cleveland with 99 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and two sacks in 16 games and 16 starts, but the Browns traded him back to the Jets in June 2017 in exchange for Calvin Pryor after switching to a base 4-3 defense.
Second Stint with the Jets (2017)
Back in New York in 2017, Demario Davis stepped back into a starting inside linebacker role and put together the best statistical season of his career to that point. He set career highs with 135 combined tackles and five sacks, while adding three pass deflections in 16 starts. His 135 tackles ranked sixth in the entire league that year, and he also earned an 87.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the eighth highest among all qualified linebackers. He also finished the 2017 season as the NFL’s co-leader in solo tackles.
New Orleans Saints Era (2018-Present)
Demario Davis signed a three-year, 24 million dollar contract with the New Orleans Saints in March 2018 and quickly became a focal point of the defense. In just his fourth game with the team, he recorded 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks in a win over the New York Giants, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He later recorded double digit tackle games against the Atlanta Falcons and earned recognition from his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
In September 2020, Davis signed a three-year, 27 million dollar contract extension with the Saints, and he followed it with another extension in June 2022. He appeared in and started all 16 games in 2021, finishing with 105 tackles and three sacks. In 2022, he became the only linebacker in the NFL to play all 1,132 defensive snaps for his team, a feat not accomplished by a linebacker since 2019. In 2023, he posted 6.5 sacks, 121 tackles, and a forced fumble in 17 starts, and was rewarded with a contract extension in March 2024 that runs through 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Demario Davis is widely respected for his tackling consistency, football IQ, and ability to defend both the run and the pass from inside linebacker. His strength comes from diagnosing plays quickly, taking sound angles, and finishing tackles in space, while also providing occasional pass rush pressure from the second level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Demario Davis recorded his first career interception off Drew Brees in 2013, earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week in 2018, and was named First-team All-Pro in 2019. He has also been a fixture on the NFL Top 100 Players list and was recognized with the 2021 Bart Starr Award for his character and leadership in the community.
Demario Davis Career Awards and Honors
Demario Davis has earned several of the most prestigious individual honors available to an NFL linebacker. He was named First-team All-Pro in 2019 and Second-team All-Pro in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, and he earned Pro Bowl selections in 2022 and 2023. He was also recognized as the NFL’s co-leader in solo tackles in 2017 and received the Bart Starr Award in 2021.
All-Pro and Pro Bowl Recognition
Davis first earned league wide recognition with his First-team All-Pro nod in 2019, which cemented his status among the top linebackers in football. He added Second-team All-Pro honors in each of the next four seasons and received his first Pro Bowl invitations in 2022 and 2023.
Other Honors and Performances
Before reaching the NFL, Demario Davis was a two-time First-team All-Sun Belt selection at Arkansas State in 2010 and 2011, establishing himself as a difference maker at the college level.
Demario Davis Family
Family Background and Lineage
Demario Davis grew up in a family shaped by military service and perseverance. His father was a career enlisted soldier in the United States Army and a combat veteran, and his mother raised him from a young age. His cousin is former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, giving Davis a direct connection to a family of professional football talent.
Personal Life
Davis is a devout Christian and married his wife, Tamela, in 2012. The couple has five children, four girls and one boy. In 2019, he drew national attention when he was fined by the NFL for wearing a headband reading Man of God during a game, though the fine was later repealed.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into the 2025 season, Demario Davis remains a central piece of the New Orleans Saints defense under his contract extension that runs through the year. After playing every defensive snap in 2022 and posting 121 tackles in 2023, he continues to set the standard for availability and production at the inside linebacker position.
The Saints will look to Davis for leadership, run defense, and locker room stability as they attempt to climb back into playoff contention. His continued partnership with the defensive coaching staff and his experience in big moments make him a steadying force for a young New Orleans defense.
With another year of high level play, Demario Davis has a strong opportunity to further cement his legacy as one of the most durable and respected linebackers of his generation.