400-meter champ Jerry Davis adds speed to Greensburg Central Catholic roster

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, August 11, 2024 | 2:18 PM

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Jerry Davis played at Serra Catholic the past two football seasons but did not experience the WPIAL playoffs.

Serra qualified both years, but Davis did not play in the postseason. He saw limited time as a freshman, and last year he could not participate in a first-round game because of a concussion he suffered against Steel Valley.

Now a rising junior transfer at Greensburg Central Catholic, he is eyeing his first playoff action with his new team, but that opportunity will have to wait until next season.

Davis is ineligible for the playoffs because of transfer rules. So he will try to make the most of the regular season to help his team play past Week 9.

He and his teammates open full-contact training camp Monday.

“I want to experience that feeling of winning and look at it like, we did this as a team,” Davis said. “I want to experience team success.”

A wide receiver and defensive back, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Davis could make a fast impact with the Centurions. A WPIAL champion in the 400-meter dash, he instantly adds speed.

Davis watches videos to improve his quickness, and he recently studied sprinters while watching the Olympics to learn and apply anything he could to his form and stride.

“I want to get quicker off the line with my route-running,” said Davis, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. “I want to be more choppy to add more speed.”

Davis spent recent weekends with his family at their summer vacation house in Bethany Beach, Del., where he ran in the sand to add some resistance to his training.

Davis, who lives in North Huntingdon and comes from Adah, a tiny, unincorporated town in Fayette County — “In the middle of nowhere,” he said — attended GCC in eighth grade before leaving for Serra.

Previously, he was a student at Norwin, where he also wrestled and played soccer.

Last year, he had 21 receptions for 249 yards as a wideout, and he delivered 35 tackles and a couple of pass breakups on defense where he played outside linebacker, cornerback and an “overhang” safety.

“He’s one of our top three fastest kids on the team,” GCC coach JT Thompson said. “The way he prepares and works is unlike any athlete I have seen as far as his intensity and the way he attacks it. With Jerry, it’s full speed or nothing.”

Davis could be a perfect complement to big-play junior Samir Crosby, who will play quarterback for GCC.

Davis and Crosby often try to one-up each other on the perimeter.

Watching them race is a thrill for the team.

“We feed off each other,” Davis said. “I want to play the spots he did last year (on offense).”

Davis said he prefers short passes over deep-thrown balls.

“The YAC (yards), you need to be able to do a lot more,” he said.

Davis could be just as valuable to the Centurions on defense, and that is fine with him.

“I like defense better,” he said. “I like to be able to dictate and impose your will on someone. You can demoralize them that way.”

While the playoffs are a key motivating factor for Davis, carving a path to college football also is high on the list.

“You see a lot of these rankings that come out, and when you don’t see your name, you want to work harder,” Davis said. “I want to be considered one of the top players.”

Davis also could reprise his role as a kicker, something he hasn’t done regularly since sixth grade.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.