Journey from a Soccer Player to a Dll Scholarship Offer Recipient
Colt Davis is an NFHS certified coach who loves helping young athletes achieve their full potential in kicking and punting.
My Story
Growing up, the last thing I thought I’d be doing in high school was playing football. In fact, I looked down on the sport. I loved soccer (still do), but I wouldn’t change a single thing about my kicking journey. I truly found myself in this sport, along with a close-knit band of brothers I’ll have as friends for life.
There was something special about kicking that was perfect for me. Here’s my story, and if you relate to it, I highly recommend you strap on some cleats and take a few swings. You might find it’s the thing for you.
Finding my Leg
I didn’t have a typical childhood. I was a military kid born in Arizona, then moved to Hawaii, Virginia, and spent most of my elementary school years in Germany (where I found my love for the swing). I played soccer everyday, and dreamed of going professional.
However, when I moved back to the US, it was a bit of a culture shock. All anybody wanted to do in the panhandle of Florida was play football. I was just a kid who wanted to play soccer, but my new school didn’t even have a soccer program.
As you can imagine, I was incredibly disappointed and didn’t play any sports for about a year. I remember one night my mom asked if I wanted to try something new–football. Being the active kid I was, I said, “Sure Ma, what’s the worst that can happen?” Well, I found out really fast.
– Me back in my youth club days.
Learning the Ropes
In this Deep South country town in Florida I found myself in, football was everything. The players were the “heros” of the school, which had a long history and a legacy of winning. I joined the local youth program, but was only seen for my height. They tried to play me as a lineman every chance they got. I can’t lie–I was scared and ready to quit many times from getting trucked every play. After one especially rough practice, my dad talked to the coach and explained my soccer past, and they allowed me and one other kid to try out for kicker. We were both brought to a grass field to take a few swings.
I was instantly kicking the balls high and far! My performance that day led to my coaches allowing me to kick that season and the next. This was almost unheard of as most teams we played against had no kicker at all. I was very happy in my kicking position, so my parents signed me up for a summer course–which is what really got me on the path of becoming what I am today! I learned there was so much more to kicking than I ever thought possible, and being taught by someone who knew what they were talking about, breaking down my kick, really grew me as an athlete.
High School and Beyond
I moved again, to Georgia, just in time for high school. Coming from a small town in Florida, the scale of football here was college level to me–turf fields, thousands of students per school, and elite equipment. It was the perfect proving grounds for everything I had spent the last three years developing. I went on to gain a four-star ranking at a Kohl’s Ranking Showcase before the start of my junior year, which was going to be my first time starting at the Varsity level. I was nervous, but I knew that I had prepared and practiced for this moment and nothing was going to stop me from doing my best. At the conclusion of my senior season, I was awarded All-Region 6-5A, First Team Punter on the 2025 All-Cherokee County Football Team, as well as offered a D2 punter scholarship from Shorter University. While I tried to take the offer, life got in my way of being able to play at the next level. I am now enrolled at KSU and I am working for my future. This is my way of being able to give back to the community and stay with the game I love.
I’ll never forget the positive impact football has had in my life over the past 7 years. Being a kicking coach is my way of staying with the game that means so much to me and giving back to the community, because I know how much it means to get proper training. It means the difference between winning and losing a game for your team, and in the end you’re either ready … or you’re not.
