/MRA’s Herbert Davis plans to coach carefully

MRA’s Herbert Davis plans to coach carefully

The MRA offense is focused on its passing game. It is supervised by a gray-bearded and heavyset man wearing a baseball cap, shouting orders, and wearing a baseball cap. These instructions, which are laced with praise and criticism, fall from a mechanical lift platform suspended twelve feet above the field. Herbert Davis later tells a reporter, “I could use the megaphone.” He didn’t need one. The man above, Davis, has the appearance and sound of a 29-year-old veteran coach. As you’ll see, Davis is a 53-year-old coach with very few other characteristics. The mechanical lift. Davis isn’t able to coach from the top because he wants to imitate Bear Bryant. He coaches from the lift, as it is not safe for him and his players to be near each other. Davis is suffering from stage 5 (completely) kidney failure. He is on dialysis for 7 1/2 hours every night, while he sleeps. He is currently on the kidney transplant waiting list, waiting for a match donor. These days, we hear and read about the dangers of certain underlying medical conditions in this COVID-19 pandemic. You can Google it. The first thing that comes up is chronic kidney disease. During the pre-season, MRA players have already tested positive for COVID. My first question to Davis was: Are you not taking a big risk? Davis replies, “I’m a football coach. This is what I do.” “You gotta live life. In my case, that means you have to live life smart. I coach at the lift during practice. I do not go to the locker room. He will bring his own car on road trips. He will not ride in the team bus. Davis admits that it is a risky move. “I love the children, I love this game.” This is who I am. It was never an option to shut it down. Lonnie Keys/MRA This is Herbert Davis. He’s really, really good at what they do. He is currently a head coach for 196-85. He is currently 61-19 in six seasons at MRA. He is the only Mississippi coach to have coached five different schools in state championship games. MRA won the state championship last year by defeating Jackson Prep, a perennial powerhouse, 48-33. Davis has been a fan of the sport since he was young in Brookhaven. He was a Brookhaven Academy football and baseball player, and then he played both at Copiah–Lincoln Community College. He played baseball at Mississippi College, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Then he began coaching while he was working towards his master’s degree at Delta State. Davis states, “I started coaching because i loved to compete” and “I loved to win.” I have never thought of anything else. It’s clear that my ideal weekend afternoon is spent watching film. Kenny Williams, an offensive line coach, says that Herbert doesn’t have any hobbies. His hobby is coaching. When he isn’t watching our film, he watches games from the 60s to 70s and 80s. He plays football every day. He is a true professional at the game. Herbert is different. I love football as much as any coach. Sometimes you just want to tell Herbert, “Coach, you know there’s a life beyond football.” But that’s only one reason he is so great at it. Williams adds, “He really cares for these kids.” He’s hard on them. They know he isn’t demanding but he is loving. He brings modern football strategies and an old-school approach to work. “That’s a helluva combination, I think.” Lonnie Keys/MRA Richard Duease is the MRA athletic director. He knows a lot about coaching and winning. Duease is also the state’s most successful basketball coach. Duease was offered the opportunity to hire Herbert Davis, but he declined. Duease said that seven years ago, when the job was again available, he didn’t make the same mistake twice. He is organized, has great staff, and has a wonderful way with the players. They love him and work hard for him. He has been successful in every place he has been. We want it to stay that way. “We’ve just got get him the kidney he needs.” Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today Davis said that he began experiencing kidney problems eight years ago, when he developed debilitating renal stones. His kidney function has been declining over time. When he was leading the Patriots to their first ever state football championship, he was in stage 4. Davis was diagnosed with stage 5 failure two months after the championship. He would require a kidney transplant to continue living a normal lifestyle. Davis admits that he is not the same person as he used to be. However, a nightly dialysis at home has helped him get better. It’s easy to hook it up every night before going to bed and it’s done when I get up in the morning. If I had to take it to the clinic, I would kill myself. Although I have more energy, I still feel tired sometimes. His players love him and he is passionate about it. They listen attentively when he speaks. We would have more engineers if science and math teachers were able to command the same attention. He says, “We are behind, we aren’t very good right now but we have the potential to get a lot better.” The Patriots were among the worst teams to graduate from last year’s championship. Davis claims that his rock-solid coaching staff, which includes several former head coaches has allowed him to continue coaching despite his illness. MRA will open the season against Trinity Christian of Addison (Texas), a team that is quarterbacked by Shedeur Bernier, the four-star recruit, and son of Deion Sanders, Pro Football Hall of Famer. Shedeur Sanders is a talent who has led Trinity Christian to three consecutive state championships. This is not the best opening opponent for a team that has so many important players. Herbert Davis has had to face much more difficult challenges than this, and he continues to do so every day.