Published October 30, 2009
By C. Jemal Horton
South Charlotte Weekly
As a lower-school student romping through Charlotte Latin School’s wooded setting in the late 1990s, Davis Austin always kept an eye on the Hawks’ football field.
Even then, Austin towered over many of his classmates and appeared to have a stature more conducive to excelling for the Charlotte Latin basketball team one day. Basketball, in fact, had been his first sports love.
But over the years, as he grew taller, and the Hawks’ football squad began a magnificent ascent to one of the state’s elite private-school teams, Austin found it increasingly difficult to ignore the whispers calling from the gridiron.
Now a senior, he feels he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be: making an impact for the Charlotte Latin football team.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Austin is one of Mecklenburg County’s top wide receivers, having hauled in 35 passes for 772 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. His sparkling statistics have prompted college coaches from the Ivy League, Southern Conference and, most recently, the Atlantic Coast Conference to come calling.
The individual attention has been rewarding for Austin, who put in a lot of sweat equity over the summer to attain his current level of play. But for a true-blue Hawk such as Austin, what’s most satisfying is Charlotte Latin’s 8-1 record – and a chance to win a conference title – heading into the Friday, Oct. 30, regular-season finale against rival Charlotte Country Day.
“I’ve loved it,” Austin said. “I’ve been here since kindergarten. I’ve always dreamed of being on the field. It’s just pretty much a dream come true to be playing this well and scoring touchdowns for my school.”
When he was younger, Austin thought his main athletic contribution to the school would come via dunks and jump shots. He’s been a key player in the Hawks basketball program throughout his high school days and even had dreams of playing the sport in college one day.
Then, after showing potential as the third receiving option on the Hawks’ football team last season, he started getting questionnaires from Southern Conference programs such as The Citadel and Furman. That’s when he decided to become a devoted football player.
“Basketball has been my No. 1 sport up through high school,” Austin said. “But last summer, I pretty much dedicated myself to football – and playing college football.
“Over the summer, I worked with a speed coach, Charlie Newman. I went to pretty much every ‘Iron Hawks’ workout – our weightlifting program – over the summer. I got a lot stronger and faster.”
Austin shaved two-tenths of a second off his 40-yard dash time to 4.75 seconds. He also increased his bench press 20 pounds, up to 235 pounds. Those improvements, combined with his height, made him a bona fide commodity on the football field; on the basketball court, 6-5 players are available in abundance.
The hard work that led to his increased speed has made all the difference, Charlotte Latin coach Larry McNulty said.
“(A lack of speed) was the thing that was holding him back,” McNulty said. “He always could catch well, and he had good size. He just really wasn’t quick enough to get away from coverage. But now he can do that. He’s stepped it up. He’s caught a touchdown pass in every game.”
That last fact might have landed Austin in the state record books.
Although Charlotte Latin coaches are hesitant to state it as fact, it is believed that Austin’s nine consecutive games with a touchdown reception is a state record. Either way, Austin is honored to even be a part of the discussion.
“It’s cool to have your name down there for consideration,” he said. “No matter what happens, it feels good because I’ve worked really hard in the offseason to get where I am.
“I expected to do a lot better this season. Last year, we had two all-state receivers – Ross Cockrell and Tayler Sipperly – and I was kind of the third guy. Now I’m pretty much the go-to receiver. But I’ve had to earn it.”
And following his hard work on Friday nights, Austin has hustled almost as much on Saturdays, too.
Last weekend, Clemson University hosted him on an unofficial visit. The week before, the University of Virginia did the same thing. He’s also had trips to The Citadel and Furman.
“The Ivy League and Southern Conference are showing me the most interest, but some ACC schools are starting to show more interest since I’ve started doing well,” said Austin, who sports a 3.5 GPA and a 1270 SAT score.
“I’m not sure how things will end, but I’m just grateful for my position right now.”
But for a lifelong Hawk, the season highlight always is the regular-season finale against Charlotte Country Day. And Austin is hoping to have his best game of the season when the Hawks play host to the Bucs on Friday.
“Oh, yeah, that’s the game!” Austin said. “That’s our main rival. It would be great to beat Country Day the day before Halloween.
“I’ve been dreaming about that for a long time, too.”
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