USF Athletic Hall of Fame
Davis dominated Sun Belt Conference tennis in the late 1970’s, posting three conference singles championships, three doubles championships and helping lead USF to three straight team championships (1977, ‘78 & ‘79). The three-time all-conference selection was named the Sun Belt Conference MVP in 1979 as the three-year team captain helped propel USF to what became a run of four straight conference crowns and the start of a dominate period that would see the Bulls’ men’s tennis program post a USF Athletics record tying 20 conference titles from 1977-2019.
Davis posted a USF record 174 career collegiate wins – 91 in singles and 83 in doubles – and went undefeated in conference play from 1977-79. He was named the 1979 USF Athlete of the Year and the 1976 USF Scholar Athlete of the Year. In 1978 he reached No. 6 in the USTA Men’s Under 21 rankings and was ranked in the top 10 eight times in the USTA national rankings, including No. 1 in the state of Florida seven times. In 1979, he claimed the Florida Intercollegiate Singles Championship while helping USF claim the team title.
Davis went on to post-graduate success in tennis, competing on the ATP Tour from 1979-81 and on the USTA Pro Circuit and Challenger tournament on three continents. He won four USTA Florida Championship titles, reaching the No. 1 USTA singles rank in the state of Florida 12 times, and twice was named the USTA Florida Adult Player of the Year (1994 & 2004). He was ranked in the top 10 of the USTA national singles rankings 12 times and reached a career-best ranking of No. 3 twice. In 1994, he was selected to compete on the USTA Italia Cup Men’s 35’s teams and in the 2004 was a member of the International Club Men’s 45’s team that won their event in Barcelona.
Davis won two USTA National Category I Championship titles, claiming a doubles title in 1993 and a singles title in 1994, and claimed nine USTA National Category 2 Championship titles in singles (1999-200, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013). He also claimed seven ITF international singles titles, winning three in singles and four in doubles. He was ranked in the top 10 of the ITF World rankings four times, including a career-best No. 5 ranking in 1993.
Davis was inducted into the USF Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 13, 2021 as part of the three-member Class of 2020 (induction delayed one year due to COVID-19 pandemic).
