Finding his spot in the NFL

Two years ago, Jesse Davis was working as a service technician for the McGregor Company in Garfield.

Today, he's the starting right tackle for the Miami Dolphins.

From humble beginnings as an awkward freshman at Asotin High, Davis never expected to one day step foot on the NFL gridiron. But after battling through a collegiate ACL injury and two roster cuts at the professional level, Davis' dream has finally become a reality.

"It's just a lot of hard work and people believing in me," Davis said. "Especially the Asotin football program."

It was with the Panthers where Davis first began his football career, terrorizing opposing offenses as a Washington Class 2B First-Team defensive tackle. Davis also spent some time at tight end, catching 10 passes for 163 yards and four touchdowns during his senior year.

"He was always just a super coachable kid," said current coach Jim Holman, who served as an assistant during Davis' playing days. "He was eager to learn and willing to do whatever it took."

Davis earned respect and recognition from his District 9 peers after leading Asotin to three consecutive playoff appearances, but the high school senior received little attention on the recruiting trail until he attended summer training sessions in Moscow.

"He went to camp at Idaho and caught coach (Robb) Akey's eye," Holman said. "We went to our team camp at Eastern (Washington), and by the time we got there, Akey called him and gave him an offer. I think he knew Eastern was probably going to be on him, too."

It didn't take long for Davis to sign with the Vandals, but he struggled to make an immediate impact, tallying just 22 tackles in his first two years on the defensive line. During the 2013 offseason, Davis was asked to take on an unexpected role.

"We went into spring ball with about nine offensive linemen," Davis said. "A couple of them went down, so they asked for three of us on defense to fill the position. I go to the meeting room and it's just me. I'm like, 'What the heck is going on?' "

Davis was initially frustrated with the transition to strong tackle, but it didn't take long for him to pick up the finer points of the position.

"My run blocking wasn't too bad - (the challenge) was pass blocking and understanding what everybody is doing and what their responsibility is," Davis said. "It was just a bunch of stuff that hit me at once, but when I broke it down little by little, it came a bit easier."

Despite going undrafted after his senior season, Davis got an opportunity as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks - the result of offensive line coach Tom Cable's previous connections to Idaho. During his first week with the team, Davis got a reality check when he was forced to line up against two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett.

"It was definitely a shock at first ... at that point, I thought it was never going to work (out)," Davis said. "Tom Cable told me to just go out there and play football, don't be scared of these guys or anything. It's just another game, another player. You've got to trust your technique and your ability."

A combination of a high ankle sprain and a bone bruise sidelined Davis for most of the preseason, forcing the Seahawks to cut the prospect after four months on the roster. With nowhere else to turn, Davis began working as a service technician for the McGregor Company in Garfield.

"I got there in the winter and did maintenance, greasing hubs, welding, fixing the springers on the fertilizer machines because they get beat up in the spring time," Davis said. "... I was wondering what I was doing there. I've got a college degree and there's an 18-year-old out of high school working the same job and getting paid the same amount. I was a little frustrated in myself, but it was a really good business to work for at the time."

Davis had essentially put his NFL aspirations to rest, but when the New York Jets reached out with an offer, his fiancé encouraged him to give the dream one more chance.

"It meant everything, I don't know if I would be here today without Ashley (Proctor)," Davis said. "She pushed me to go to New Jersey, but I didn't really like the fact of going all that way just to have my dream get let down again."

That initially appeared to be the case when the Jets cut the prospect after the third preseason game. But just a few weeks later, the Miami Dolphins offered Davis a spot on the practice squad.

"The coaching staff really helped me and gave me a chance," he said. "They believed in me and trusted me."

Davis finally got his big break when Kraig Urbik went down with a knee injury in early August, opening up a spot on the left side of the O-line.

"That's when our coach came in during warmups for our first preseason game and was like, 'Hey, you've got to start at left tackle,'" Davis said. "It hit me quick. I also noticed during training camp that people started going down and I started moving up (the depth chart)."

Davis made his first NFL regular season appearance in the team's opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, splitting reps with Anthony Steen at left guard.

"It was a pretty weird feeling, it kind of feels like jumping off something tall into the water or skydiving, just that adrenaline rush," Davis said "But once it happens, it's fine. Once you feel yourself in the moment, you're good. You try to take it all in, but I'm also thinking about what I need to do, what is the play call, what is the guy going to do across from me?"

After making his first official start on Oct. 26 against the Baltimore Ravens, Davis bounced around the offensive line, seeing time at every position except center. The constant movement proved troublesome for the rookie, but Davis finally feels like he has a firm grasp of his responsibilities.

"I was always a swinging tackle and guard, so it wasn't a big shock when I had to learn a new play," Davis said. "It's all the same stuff, just different footwork and timing technique that comes with more reps."

Despite playing on the opposite side of the country, Davis still has a strong fan base back in his hometown, beginning with Holman and the Asotin football program.

"I've watched all his games," Holman said. "... It's just a sense of pride, not in the sense that I did anything - you can't coach a guy to be 6-6 and 320 pounds - but it just speaks to his work ethic. I haven't coached a whole lot of kids in 25 years who have worked as hard or been as coachable as him."

With two games left on the schedule, including today's 10 a.m. PST road meeting with the Kansas Chiefs, Davis still hasn't had time to fully soak up the experience. But as long as he's on an NFL roster, the rookie is going to continue to fight for playing time.

"I've gotten through every game healthy so far, knock on wood," Davis said. "Coach is always telling me, 'Hey, you're getting really good at this, you're getting better every game, just trust yourself.' I'm just proud that I wasn't benched at any point and that I haven't given up a starting role. It's great having this organization trust in me that I can get the job done."

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Joshua Grissom can be reached at jgrissom@dnews.com or on Twitter @JoshuaGNews.