FSU RB Kam Davis turning criticism into motivation in second FSU spring

Kam Davis probably had a good idea of how the start of his Florida State football career would go.

A longtime FSU commit, Davis signed with the Seminoles when they were 13-0 in December 2023. He was a four-star running back and a borderline top-100 recruit in the class.

He surely had aspirations that he was going to have an immediate role on a team that was going to contend for ACC and national titles every season.

As you know by now, that's not anywhere close to how Davis' first season as a Seminole went. Not on a personal or team level. FSU finished with a 2-10 record while Davis had just 173 rushing yards on 52 carries (3.3 yards per carry) and no touchdowns.

Davis doesn't resent some of the social-media feedback he saw as FSU's season went totally off the rails last fall. Quite the opposite in fact.

"Seeing some of the stuff said on social media gave me motivation," Davis said Wednesday after FSU's first spring practice concluded. "I don't really blame the fans, some of the people that said the stuff they did. I took it as motivation, I worked, did what I had to do to make sure I felt my best. I'm still working on it. I'm trying to get to the best Kam Davis there is."

Davis went over 25 rushing yards and averaged over four yards per carry just once in eight games last fall against FBS competition. He had 63 yards vs. Duke, but also had a critical fumble on what appeared to be a promising fourth-quarter drive that could have tied the game.

Entering his sophomore season, Davis believes some improvement will come naturally just from having a better understanding of the speed of the game at this level.

"I feel like I'm able to grow this year as far as my vision, being able to read holes and how much slower the game actually is," Davis said. "Last year, I felt like I played at too fast of a level. I was trying to move too fast."

However, he also has shed seven pounds and entered his second spring at FSU at 217 pounds. He's still noticeably muscular, but should be able to move a bit quicker, especially if he drops a little more weight like he said he intends to.

"It was tough not eating what I wanted to eat," Davis said. "Nutrition staff, coaches, parents, everybody helped me out."

"Kam, I'm proud of him," FSU running backs coach David Johnson said before spring camp began. "He continued to work, he continued to get better, he's setting high goals for himself and that's what we want."

That combination of understanding, experience and being more physically prepared could make Davis a weapon in FSU's offense this upcoming season. Especially considering the new-look offense under new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is predicated upon physicality and based upon establishing the rushing attack.

"Tough, physical, vision, just ready to run the ball downhill. Just being able to think, pad-blocking, just being an all-around overall back..." Davis said of how Malzahn's offense fits him. "Playing fast, want to be the No. 1 offense in the country. That's all there is to it."

While Davis was originally supposed to play both football and baseball at FSU, he's not with the FSU baseball team this year. Asked if he's done with baseball Wednesday night, Davis was adamant that he'll get back to it at some point, but said he had to set his priorities this offseason and focus his attention on one sport.

"I told coach Link Jarrett that I'm not done with baseball," Davis said. "It's just a business decision right now, trying to get back in football to where I know I want to be."

That business decision may already be paying off for the FSU running back. FSU head coach Mike Norvell made a point of highlighting Davis as someone who stood out in the Seminoles' first practice of spring camp.

"He made a couple of nice plays there today. He's one that I challenged to go take a step. You're going to have to battle through the good and bad moments. Sometimes your body feels good, sometimes your body is not," Norvell said of Davis. "I thought that he was able to display toughness through challenges as a true freshman, but now he knows what to expect. He's put a lot of work into his body to go be in the best position to go take that step. I think that's going to open the door for him in a lot of ways but now we've got to go do it."

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