Saints’ Demario Davis on facing Tom Brady, Jets memories, Capitol riot

Saints’ Demario Davis on facing Tom Brady, Jets memories, Capitol riot

Saints linebacker and former Jet Demario Davis tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby ahead of Sunday’s divisional playoff showdown with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Q: What makes Drew Brees, Drew Brees?

A: He knows how to prepare unlike anybody I’ve ever seen. He’s very visual. He can put himself in the game many, many times before the actual game happens. His preparation is very methodical and on an elite level, I think that’s what set him apart. His preparation is so intense, and he’s consistent with it.

Q: What makes Tom Brady, Tom Brady?

A: I’ve never seen Tom Brady in person [off the field], but I would imagine his preparation is just as intense. He’s just as detailed-oriented as Drew. And he’s just an ultimate competitor. He gets in those games and he just relies on his preparation, and most times when he steps on the field, he’s more prepared than his opponent.

Q: What are your memories of playing against him with the Jets?

A: We always knew we were gonna have our hands full. They dominated that division year in, year out. It was one of those things where you were never in a situation of sweeping ’em, you just wanted to be able to try to split it.

Q: What was your reaction when he signed with Tampa Bay?

A: I was really excited. In any regard, if you want to be the best, you gotta beat the best. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it, there’s no way around it. The best way to do it is in your division. Also, I was excited to have a front-row seat to see the showdown between two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. I don’t think people understand what we’re witnessing right in front of us, and it’s amazing.

Q: Is there any feeling of sending Brees out the right way if this is his last season?

A: I think all we think about is right now. We’ve been in this situation quite a few times over the past couple of years, and an opportunity sits before us again, and you can’t take that for granted.

SaintsThe Saints’ Demario Davis.AP

Q: Describe his leadership style.

A: By example.

Q: What makes Sean Payton, Sean Payton?

A: His ability to study and prepare for opponents. He knows what adjustments need to be made, and how to win each and every game. And he has a great ability to be able to kind of forecast the type of things that are gonna come up along the season and kind of prepare in advance for those moments.

Q: If you could pick the brain of any linebacker in NFL history, who would it be?

A: It would probably be a combination of Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary or Ray Lewis. I’ve had some conversations with Mike Singletary, and I’ve talked to Ray Lewis. All those guys played on great defenses, and not only were they great individual performers, they played in a way that elevated the entire unit. That’s something that I’ve always wanted to be a part of … playing at a high level and be a part of a great defensive unit. I think there’s an art to getting there, understanding what that looks like and whatnot.

Q: If you could go one-on-one in the open field against one running back in NFL history, who would it be?

A: If you could tackle Barry Sanders one-on-one in space, you can tackle anybody. Not to say that I would look forward to that matchup one-on-one in space (laugh).

Q: Who are leaders in any walk of life you admire?

A: I think, No. 1, Jesus Christ, but Martin Luther King [Jr.], Malcolm X, Tupac Shakur, Muhammad Ali — those were some of my idols growing up. Just because of the way they cared about and the way that they used their platform — no matter how good they were at their craft, they used it in a way that was helping people who couldn’t help themselves. So I’ve always admired those type of people. I think in today’s time, I admire LeBron James. He has a tremendous platform, and he tries to use it in a way that helps people and speaks up for the voices.

Q: Tell me why you think Saints defensive backs coach and former Jet Aaron Glenn will be a head coach one day.

A: He has a unique personality. He knows how to relate to players. He knows how to identify good players. He really understands the game. The head coaches are the ones that understand the game and know how to be good people people. He’s very even-keel with his emotions — he’s never too high, never too low.

Q: How hungry are you to get to a Super Bowl?

A: I think I’m just hungry to win. That’s what I train to do, to be the best in my position and to put my team in the best position to win, and I hate losing just as much as I love winning. I’ve heard how high it is, and what type of emotional rush it is to win a championship — whether it’s in any sport just listening to the greats or the ones who have won talk about it — and so I want to know what that’s like, I want to experience that. But I know how I feel when I don’t make it, and I’m not interested to have that feeling.

Q: Which one of your heartbreak endings was the most difficult to swallow and get over?

A: They all hurt bad. Especially when you have a team that can win, but for me it hurt when I was with the Jets, and I didn’t make the playoffs. And so watching my peers play in the playoffs, it hurt just as bad. I just don’t like losing. I don’t know if I can put a rating on which loss hurt the most.

Q: What do you recall about losing in Buffalo in the 2015 regular-season finale to miss the playoffs?

A: You just need one to get in, and they don’t have a full-strength roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. I just felt like defensively, we didn’t play good enough to win that game. I felt like if we woulda got in, we woulda been a very dangerous team.

Q: Where were you on the Nickell Robey-Coleman “no pass interference” call at the end of the NFC Championship game against the Rams following the 2018 season?

A: I was on the sideline watching (chuckle) in disbelief just like the rest of the world.

Q: How long did it take you to get over it?

A: I still don’t know if I’m over it yet. … When you hate losing, you have to use it as fuel and motivation, so I have to kind of keep that fire burning from that, knowing what could have been. It makes you hold on to these opportunities and cherish ’em, because you know at any moment, it could be gone like that one, you can’t get it back.

Q: It’s difficult beating a team three times in one season. What is the mindset of your team?

A: Our mindset is we just have to go 1-0 against this team. We can’t rely on the two wins we had in the regular season.

JetsDemario Davis tackles Cam Newton while with the Jets.Paul Bereswill

Q: Do you have any kind of psychological edge?

A: No, there’s no edge. You gotta win to keep advancing, and everybody feels that in the playoffs. You gotta be better than them on that day, and the best team’ll win.

Q: Your played for the Jets from 2012-15 and in 2017. What is your favorite Jets memory?

A: I had a lot of great teammates in that locker room, a lot of great guys to be able to play with, especially my early years, all those veteran guys. That was a very talented locker room, and just to be able to come in with the guys that I came in with, to be able to look up to them and learn the game from them. Between that and getting drafted there, I think those were my biggest memories.

Q: What about D’Brickashaw Ferguson helping upgrade your wardrobe?

A: I had a lot of guys I could lean [on], especially D’Brickashaw. He taught me not just about how to dress, which was a big part — I’m doing the same thing here — but he taught me a lot about how to be a professional on and off the field … how to be a class act … and he was just definitely somebody to look up to and emulate. And we have a close relationship today.

Q: Were you in the locker room when Geno Smith had his jaw broken by IK Enemkpali in 2015?

A: Yeah, I was there for that.

Q: Did you see it happen?

A: No, I didn’t see it happen, I just saw the commotion, and I was there to try to break it up.

Q: That must have been hard to believe.

A: (Laugh) You rarely see fights happen inside of a locker room. That was kind of a shocker, and then when they gave us a report that the starting quarterback’s jaw was broken, that was a shocker, but it was just something that happened.

Q: Were you disappointed that your Jets days ended after the Browns traded you back to them?

A: It was time for a fresh start, and I was open to whatever God had for me. I hadn’t made it to the playoffs my entire career, and I wanted to have a chance to go and play for a contender that was in a position to win championships, and I was blessed with the opportunity to come here and play on a contender, and we’ve been a contender every year I’ve been here.

Q: What’s unique about your running back, Alvin Kamara?

A: Everything that he does is unique. Cat-quick fast, great balance, strong, elusive, can do it all running back. What sets him apart is his ability to make it all look easy.

Q: What are your memories of playing against Rob Gronkowski?

A: He is a phenomenal tight end. Great catch radius, can run all the routes, can stretch the field vertically or beat you in the quick game, big red-zone threat, hard to stop on third down. Same way they’re using him now is the same way they’ve been using him across his career.

Q: Describe defending running back Leonard Fournette.

A: He’s a tough back to go against. Very strong in between the tackles. To be that size and have that type of talent and footwork is very special.

Q: The Lions are interested in Saints tight end coach Dan Campbell as their next coach.

A: He’s done a phenomenal job here. He’s a guy that played the game, so he can speak the players’ language. He knows how to motivate, and he understands the game.

Q: Describe Jameis Winston.

A: Jameis is gonna be a really good quarterback in this league. He knows how to prepare. He’s an alpha male as a leader. Very bright personality and a great person to have in the locker room.

Q: Describe your first NFL interception, 2013 with the Jets.

A: It was against Drew Brees. The Saints came to play us in New York. Rex [Ryan] did a good job of game-planning for those explosive offenses. My man went to the flat, I think they had targeted my safetyman, he tipped it, and I was able to come back and intercept it.

Q: Describe what it meant winning the Bart Starr Award for outstanding character and leadership?

A: Just an amazing experience, very humbling. To be able to win a character award, I think that’s what life’s about. Before being a great football player, I would always want people to remember me for the type of person that I am, and I always lead by example in who I am — the way I love my wife, the way I love my kids, the way I serve my community. Those are the things you want to be remembered for. It doesn’t matter if I was to make it to the Hall of Fame if I’m a crappy person. I’m a person that kids can look [up] to, that people can depend on and believe in.

Q: Where does that come from?

A: I think it comes from my faith. I live to try to serve God and try to please him with my life. I try to glorify Him in all that I do.

Q: Was there one person who inspired you more than anyone else?

A: It’s been an accumulation, but definitely my mom through the entire journey has been probably the biggest inspiration, just having that consistency and that backing, that support, those guiding words and constant inspiration.

Q: Any one child during your community involvement that touched your heart?

A: All of ’em. My foundation is about reaching the next generation. I’ve helped a lot of ’em, I’ve lost some of ’em, and I think that’s the most important thing is reaching that next generation. I love ’em all the same, I’ve connected with all of ’em the same.

DavisDemario Davis pumps up the Saints.Getty Images

Q: Describe Demario Davis’ leadership style.

A: I’m gonna lead by example on the field, off the field, the family dynamic, the spiritual dynamic. But I can also share with guys how I got to that point.

Q: You must be proud of the man you’ve become.

A: It inspires my belief, that’s how I know God is real, because of the man I am today.

Q: What would you say was the low point in your during your wild youthful days?

A: Probably when I was expelled from school or when I was in jail. When I got expelled from school, I didn’t know if my coach was gonna let me back on the football team. And then when I was in jail, I didn’t know if my college coach [Arkansas State] was gonna let me back on the team. If my coaches had chose not to let me back on the team could have derailed my life and put me in a far different place than where I am today.

Q: What were those three days in jail for shoplifting like?

A: Cold and lonely. You’re kind of afraid because you don’t know what to expect while you’re there.

Q: How does this country heal?

A: I think the only way to truly heal is to be truthful. I think for a long time our country has tried to ignore what our biggest issue is. And the biggest issue in America will always be the black-and-white issue until it’s addressed. … You got pretty much black people from generations still sitting on the outside of what it really means to be American. So you have two sides that see two different worlds. And so we were trying to sweep it under the rug, and it’s continued to backfire in our faces. We just have to continue to address it from a place of truth — and say this is something that’s happened in our history, not only what’s happened is wrong, we didn’t fix what was wrong the right way. The only way you can do that is continue to expose the truth and deal with the truth. You’re gonna still have issues because we’re imperfect people, but at least we’ll have to deal with what has been going on and been on the surface for 400 years.

Q: What was going through your mind when you saw the images of the Capitol being stormed?

A: This is America essentially being revealed to itself. That truth that I was just talking about. Those same horrific images of them climbing the building and rushing in and overtaking the Capitol, that’s what’s been happening in the black community for 400 years. … When you see the KKK … when you see bombings happen in churches … when you see a church congregation, a man walks in and shoots. … For one of the first times, America got to look at America turning on itself. It wasn’t coming to a black community, it was going to the Capitol — that same aggression and privilege and hatred and all those different things. I think that’s a question that America has to answer: How are you gonna deal with yourself?