Even before New Orleans took the field on Sunday, Saints linebacker Demario Davis was giving thanks for a big win.
The day before, he’d been able to bring his 4-year-old daughter home from the hospital after an intense seizure and celebrate her surprisingly quick recovery.
“God gave me just what I asked for, plus more,” Davis said during his postgame press conference.
Davis shared the story of his daughter’s hospital stay instead of addressing the Saints’ 16-15 win over the Tennessee Titans. He told his audience to “buckle up” before he started talking, noting that the press conference was going to be “untraditional.”
“Since so many of us didn’t get to go to church today, I have a word that I want to share,” he said.
Davis then recited Revelation 3:20, a Bible verse about answering when Jesus knocks at the door. He said he heard such a knock during his daughter’s seizure and subsequent recovery, and that it put what happens on the football field in perspective.
“We get to play this game, and it’s great. ... But when we leave this game, we go back to being regular people, and regular people are living life ... waiting for a knock,” he said.
Davis added that his daughter’s experience answered his prayers and helped him mentally prepare for Sunday’s game.
“I knew the game is going to take care of itself. My knock had already been answered,” he said.
Davis urged his listeners to listen for knocks in their own life and to answer the door when God arrives.
“If you’ve got stuff going on in your life, lay it before the Lord (and) be expectant of a knock. You have to get up and get the door,” he said.
He then promised to focus on football after the next game.
“I’ll be here to talk about football next week. Happy Sunday and praise God,” he said.
Davis, 34, has been in the NFL since 2012 and with the Saints since 2018. He often references his faith and the Bible on social media.
On X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Davis describes himself as a “servant of Christ.”