CHICAGO – Wide receiver/returner Trevor Davis became the second former Cal player selected in the 2016 NFL Draft when he was chosen in the fifth round Saturday by the Green Bay Packers with the 163rd pick overall. Davis' selection followed the Los Angeles Rams' Thursday pick of Jared Goff, who became the second player in Cal history to be taken No. 1 overall Thursday at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
“It's amazing … a dream come true,” Davis said on a Packers' conference call.
“I know my favorite QB is on the team” and “I'm perfectly fine with the cold. I love the snow.” Davis later added on the same call.
Davis played in 23 games with 11 starts during the final two seasons of his three campaigns at Cal after sitting out a 2013 redshirt campaign due to NCAA transfer rules following two seasons at Hawai'i (2011-12). He finished his Cal career with 2,300 all-purpose yards including 1,071 yards receiving and seven touchdown catches on 64 receptions while he had 1,110 yards on 45 kick returns including two for touchdowns to tie a school record with his 24.7 kick return average fifth in school history. Davis had both of the kick return touchdowns on back-to-back third-quarter returns to equal NCAA and Pac-12 single-game records during a monster game at Washington State in which he also had two touchdown receptions and totaled a career-high and team season-high 280 all-purpose yards.
Davis played in all 13 games with nine starts as a 2015 senior when he contributed a career and team-high 1,407 all-purpose yards, leading the club with 686 yards on 32 kick returns while adding a team-high 45 yards on six punt returns and ranking second on the team with career highs of 672 yards receiving on 40 receptions with two for scores. Davis also had a 16.8 yards per reception average that was second on the club among regulars and third overall. He began the season as a second-team preseason All-American as a kick returner.
Davis played a big role in Cal's successful 2015 season in which the Golden Bears finished 8-5 overall and won the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl over Air Force. Cal's seven-win turnaround in two years from a 1-11 record in 2013 to its 8-5 campaign in 2015 is tied for the second best in school history behind only the eight-win improvement from a 2-10 mark in 1946 to a 10-1 record in 1948.
Following his collegiate career, Davis had a strong 2016 NFL Combine with several marks among the top numbers at the event including a time of 4.42 in the 40-yard dash that was third among wide receivers and 13th overall. Davis was also second among wide receivers in both the 3-cone drill (6.60) and 60-yard shuttle (10.94), as well as fourth at his position group in the vertical jump (38.5”). He also had a broad jump of 10'4”, ran a 4.22 and posted 11 bench press reps of 225 pounds.
Davis established himself as one of the nation's top kick returners as a 2014 junior, ranking second nationally and leading the Pac-12 with a single-season school-record 32.6 yards per kick return average. He also tied for second both nationally and in the Pac-12 with a school-record two kick returns for touchdowns, while also leading the team with 424 kick return yards on 13 returns. Davis finished second on the team with 893 all-purpose yards, adding 24 receptions for 399 yards (team-leading 16.6 yards per reception) and eight punt returns for 70 yards with a team-high 8.8 yards per return average.
Davis also had one of the most memorable games by an individual in the history of Cal football during his junior campaign in a wild 60-59 win at Washington State when he equaled NCAA and Pac-12 single-game records by becoming the 20th player in FBS history and the third in the Pac-12 to bring back two kick returns for touchdowns in a single game on consecutive kick returns of 100 and 98 yards. He also added a career-high two scoring catches including the game-winner on a 51-yarder from Jared Goff in the fourth quarter for a career-high four total touchdowns that were the most by a Cal player since Jahvid Best had a modern-era school record five at Minnesota in 2009. Davis' career-high 280 all-purpose yards were also the most by a Cal player since Best had 311 vs. Washington in 2008
Davis redshirted in 2013 after transferring to Cal from Hawai'i, where he was a two-year letterwinner who played in 15 games with 10 starts during two campaigns as a freshman and sophomore in 2011 and 2012, combining for two-season totals of 45 catches, 601 yards receiving and five touchdown grabs.
Davis prepped locally at Alhambra High School in Martinez.
Goff and Davis are two of five former Cal players along with wide receivers Stephen Anderson and Kenny Lawler, and running back Daniel Lasco that were among top draft prospects to attend the NFL Combine in February
Other former draft-eligible Cal players who completed their collegiate eligibility in 2015 and attended the school's Pro Day last month include linebacker Nathan Broussard, wide receiver Maurice Harris, defensive tackle Mustafa Jalil, linebacker Jalen Jefferson, defensive tackle Trevor Kelly, defensive end Kyle Kragen, safety Stefan McClure, wide receiver Darius Powe, offensive lineman Jordan Rigsbee, wide receiver Bryce Treggs and cornerback Darius White.
In addition to NFL Draft selections, many players who are not drafted typically sign undrafted free agent contracts to join NFL rosters shortly after the draft.
Extensive coverage of all former Cal football players selected in the 2016 NFL Draft will be provided by CalBears.com along with the Cal football Twitter (@CalFootball), Instagram (Cal_Football) and Snapchat (CalFootball) social media accounts. Fans can join in the conversation using the hashtags #GoBears, CalFamily CalInTheNFL and #NFLDraft.
Cal Football NFL Draft Notes
- Trevor Davis became the second player selected in the 2016 NFL Draft when he was taken in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers after Jared Goff had previously become the second player in Cal history to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft following quarterback Steve Bartkowski, who was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the first overall pick in 1975.
- Cal's six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the draft is tied for the third-most by any college football program behind only Notre Dame (9) and USC (8) while equaling Stanford (6). Cal's list includes Craig Morton (1965 – No. 6, Dallas Cowboys), Bartkowski (1975 – No. 1, Atlanta Falcons), Rich Campbell (1981 – No. 6, Green Bay Packers), Kyle Boller (2003 – No. 19, Baltimore Ravens), Aaron Rodgers (2005 – No. 24, Green Bay Packers) and Goff (2016 – No. 1, Los Angeles Rams).
- Cal has had 27 first-round picks and 229 selections overall since the draft began in 1936.
- Prior to Jared Goff's 2016 selection the most recent first-round draft pick from Cal was Cameron Jordan when he was taken in the first round with No. 24 overall selection by the New Orleans Saints.
- Cal had four first-round draft picks from 2009-11 with Jordan preceded by Alex Mack (2009 – No. 21, Cleveland Browns), Tyson Alualu (2010 – No. 10, Jacksonville Jaguars) and Jahvid Best (2010 – No. 30, Detroit Lions).
- Cal had strings of at least one player selected in the draft for 28 consecutive years (1987-2014), one in the top three rounds for eight years (2007-14) and two in the first four rounds for five years (2010-14) before those streaks were snapped when no Cal player was selected in 2015.
- The most Cal players selected in a single draft were the 10 chosen in 1952, while Cal's six players picked in the 1977, 2008 and 2012 NFL Drafts tie for the second-most in school history.
- Cal has had more than one wide receiver selected in a single draft only once when DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins were taken in the second and fourth rounds in 2008 by the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
