Before packing his bags and heading for the Syracuse Orange in the NCAA, where he spent four seasons on the field, Patrick Davis, the 6’5′ and 312-pound offensive lineman, had gone to visit the Université de Montréal.
“Danny Maciocia (Head Coach at the time with the Carabins) had shown great interest for me to join their team. I had really enjoyed our conversation and their facilities were impressive,” says Patrick Davis who also speaks an impeccable French. Even though he liked the personality of Coach Maciocia, he could not refuse the offer from of the NCAA’s storied football program, along with the scholarship that came with it.
Like in a fairy tale, fate will reunite Maciocia and Davis at the professional levels.
The dream comes true…
On draft day, Davis was on Zoom with friends and family. All were following the latest rounds of the draft on the TSN website. When his name came up and his phone rang, he became emotional. “I remembered the games I went to see the team play on the mountain in my childhood. For me, it’s the beginning of a dream. I am happy to have the chance to discover Montreal.”
The offensive lineman was born in Gatineau and played at CEGEP with the Champlain Lennoxville Cougars. “I played three years with the Cougars and loved their football program. Quebec is a football province and I am happy to be back. Besides, I will have a lot of relatives and family coming to watch our games, it is a great feeling”.
Post-pandemic…
Davis, who just turned 25 in January, is aware of the electrifying atmosphere that will reign once again when the Percival-Molson Stadium will be returning to normal. “In Syracuse, we attracted an average of 30,000 spectators per game. On the road, I’ve been on the field in front of 90,000 people. Fans are a great source of motivation for us players. I have experienced so many emotions because of the incredible crowds, I just can’t wait to see fans again.”
The last few years have not been easy in college. There were obviously no spectators this past season and Davis misses the fans. “There was just the television staff in our stadium. We heard the other team talking, it was a weird atmosphere.”
