LAS VEGAS — Patrick Davis wasn’t able to play at the collegiate level. Life came at him much too fast.
But his son, Miles Davis, will, in large part due to a tough decision Patrick made while just finishing up his senior year of high school in Lubbock, Texas.
Miles Davis signed with BYU during the second signing period in early February after strongly considering an offer from UNLV, among other programs. The moment was a big one for Miles and his family, as is almost always the case when high school athletes sign letters of intent to receive athletic scholarships.
“I am so excited for him and his opportunity at BYU,” Patrick Davis said. “It’s great for him to be able to play football, but the education BYU provides — it really is a dream come true for me, as his father. He’s made great decisions to get to this point and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Growing up in various locations due to his father being in the military, Patrick Davis learned to excel at football, basketball and at track while in high school. Oklahoma noticed his prowess on the basketball court, and offered him a scholarship, which the elder Davis readily accepted.
But Patrick Davis ultimately never played for the Sooners, due to some decisions made in high school.
“I thought I was an adult already, so I started making a kid early,” Patrick explained. “So I had my first kid at 18 years old, and that forced me into making some hard decisions, but decisions I knew were right.”
Patrick Davis credits his parents for instilling the right values in him, which involved taking responsibility for one’s actions.
“You make a baby and you take care of that baby the best way you know how,” Patrick Davis said. “So I decided to not go to college and join the military. So I did that, and raised my own children. It was the right thing to do.”
As can well be imagined, doing as much wasn’t easy, but Patrick Davis worked through raising ultimately four children effectively, with a good portion of it as a single parent. Patrick divorced Miles’ birth mother in 2001, but remained heavily involved in his children’s life before remarrying in 2011 and then moving to Las Vegas.
At that time Miles Davis decided to make the move with his father, and with his father’s second wife, Keesha.
“I needed to get away from some of the stuff in Lubbock and believed my best opportunity to succeed would be with my father in Las Vegas,” Miles Davis said. “And it worked out great. My dad is a great person and so is my stepmom.”
Patrick Davis made certain to give Miles and his other children opportunities he didn’t have.
“I didn’t want to move around like my parents did when I was growing up,” he said. “So I made sure to get a good and stable job here in Las Vegas and raise all of them here, in a stable environment.”
Although Patrick Davis missed out on his first opportunity at a college education, he’s more than made up for it since — ultimately earning himself a master’s in business administration. But as it turns out, even with his MBA, Patrick Davis is just the second-most educated person within his household.
“Keesha is big on education and is working toward her second doctorate degree right now,” Patrick Davis said. “It’s something she’s been great with — providing that example to our kids. and letting them know the importance of an education. She’s been the driving force behind me getting my master’s and I couldn’t be more grateful to her for everything.”
It’s a directive Miles Davis heeded, with BYU rising to be his school of choice, largely due to the academic opportunities provided.
Miles Davis was likely to take an offer to UNLV throughout most of the process, with his family enjoying the prospect of him playing close to home. But all of that changed during an official visit taken to visit the Cougars program.
“Before visiting BYU I was pretty much sold on him going to UNLV, but BYU, man, what they have to offer is over-the-top,” Patrick Davis said. “When I say over-the-top it’s because that’s exactly what we found there. It has the christian values we want, which will help him keep making adult decisions and then the education — it’s just the perfect place for him.”
Miles Davis will enter BYU’s program as a 6-foot-1 speedster who is open to playing at any position the coaches feel is best.
“I’ll just play kicker, if that’s where they need me,” Miles Davis said, although the most likely positions for him are at either wide receiver or at cornerback. “I fully trust the coaches and know they’ll do what is best for me.”
But as could well be imagined, the opportunity to play football comes second to gaining a quality education, for Miles Davis, although working hard to excel on the football field is something he’s worked hard at since a young age.
Patrick Davis describes his son as being the least athletic of all his four children, but also as a hard worker.
“His older brother had all the athleticism you could want, but no work ethic,” Patrick Davis bluntly assessed. “But Miles, he’s done real well maximizing everything he has and now he gets the opportunity his brother didn’t because of that work ethic and his focus on the right things.”
For Miles Davis, he relishes the opportunity to take advantage of the opportunities his father and older brother missed out on and wants to make certain to work as hard as possible upon arriving in Provo this coming summer.
“My dad is my hero, and I know of the sacrifices he’s made to help me have the opportunities I now have. So doing it for him, and my step mom, as well as for myself is my main focus and I really can’t wait to get all of it started,” Miles Davis concluded. “I honestly can’t even wait.”