By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó A.L. Brown senior Aaron Davidson sticks out in a crowd at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, and he’s actually a lean, mean fighting machine compared to his dimensions a year ago when he was pushing 300.
He’s a huge, cheerful defensive lineman, but he moves easily, almost gracefully. There’s a little Charles Barkley in Davidson. If you tossed him a basketball, he’d drop-step and dunk with no problem.
Not many people outside A.L. Brown’s locker room knew about Davidson a month ago. Now the SPC knows all about him.
Down at Marvin Ridge, Davidson’s face may be on a wanted poster. He disrupted the Mavericks’ offense two weeks ago, played the best game of his career and made several hits for loss. He was good again last week at Parkwood when Brown’s defensive unit produced a remarkable 20 points.
Asked back in August about the key to this season, assistant coach James Lott didn’t mention his son, Jamill, the new quarterback, because he already knew what Jamill could do and would do. The guy Lott talked about was Davidson, and the impact he’d have on the defensive line.
So where’s this guy been?
“There were a few eligibility issues my sophomore year, Davidson said. “Then my junior year, I got the ACL tear.”
With his academics in good shape, Davidson was expected to start on the offensive line in 2007, but his knee injury in a scrimmage with Scotland County scrapped that plan.
“It was a shock when I got hurt,” Davidson said. “My knee just snapped.”
His junior season was over, but if there were questions about Davidson’s work ethic he answered them.
“I was up on the knee two days after surgery and running after a month,” Davidson said. “I wanted to get back last year, but everyone felt like I’d better not try it.”
He’s determined to make up for last time. His varsity career will be only one season, but it could be a special season for the Wonders (5-2), co-leaders in the South Piedmont Conference at 3-1.Davidson plays 3-technique, occupying a gap between an offensive guard and tackle. His task is to occupy blockers so linebackers and defensive ends can make plays.
“Aaron can be as good as he wants to be,” defensive line coach Shon Galloway said. “He’s just starting to understand the God-given ability he has and he’s just starting to come off low and shoot his hands.
“He’s strong, he’s quick and he’s totally a team player. He understands he’s got to sacrifice that big body. Sacks aren’t his job, and he’s not usually going to make a ton of tackles.”
The other major development in the Marvin Ridge game was the return of Terrance Johnson from his own ACL injury.
Johnson is a huge junior linebacker with speed and a willingness to crush people.
Against Parkwood, he recorded the daily double for defenders ó TDs on both interception and fumble returns.
Brown’s defense is always quick. Now with Davidson and Johnson, it has two guys who are also large.
Davidson credits coaches Galloway and Todd Hagler for keeping his head straight the two years he was sidelined, but Galloway says that’s just part of the job.
“I don’t think what Aaron has done is a tribute to coaches,” he said. “It’s a tribute to Aaron. He was never a bad or lazy kid. Sometimes the maturing process just takes time.”