Handling business, he says, means having your coaches never have to tell you to do anything. For instance, it means showing up on time. In his case, that meant always showing up five minutes early.
It means a coach never having to tell you that you missed a drug test or you missed a workout, Davis says.
If you handle your business, he says, the coaches can just coach, which helps everyone involved.
Davis also emphasizes the importance of asking a lot of questions. That demonstrates to coaches a desire to improve, he says.
Make no mistake, he endured moments of tension and unease, especially during preseason camp, when he was uncertain whether he would even make the team. Every day, he says, he would show up early just so his coaches could see his face.
He got his first game action, about 25 snaps, in a Nov. 29 regular-season home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the team the Buccaneers defeated 31-9 in Super Bowl LV in Tampa.
“One of my first plays, I beat the guard and got a quarterback hit on Patrick Mahomes,” Davis says with a wide grin. “I was like, ‘OK, I know I can do this.’ It was just a matter of when I would get my chance, and you have to make the most of that opportunity.
“When I got home that night, you just sit in bed and think. It was like a checklist: All right, I know I can play. Then you think about everything you did in the game. Then you think, all I need is more snaps, more opportunities to make more plays.