4 minute read
ULM Magazine FALL 2020 • VOLUME 20
BY THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
DJ Davis Combines Education And Athletics To Shape Young Lives
DJ Davis belonged at ULM. His mother had attended the university during his childhood, and he frequently accompanied her to campus. He played on the first West Monroe High School championship football team in 1993, and started his freshman year at ULM in the fall of 1994. The local university was a logical, comfortable choice, where DJ initially majored in biology before switching to business management. He joined the ULM football team as a walk on and earned a scholarship. He performed community service activities and worked with Pi Sigma Epsilon. Dr. Bruce Walker served as one of DJ’s mentors at ULM. Walker displayed a genuine concern for his students, and he and DJ built a relationship that continues decades later.
Ever since he was a teenager, DJ enjoyed working with young people. Growing up without a consistent father figure, DJ knew the troubles young people faced, especially concerning authority figures who couldn’t relate to their struggles. Active in the Boys and Girls Club, DJ focused on making kids feel seen and understood. He looked into their eyes and saw himself and friends at that age. He created games to foster involvement and teach valuable life lessons. He could balance necessary discipline and a listening ear. DJ understood the kids needed both.
After graduating from ULM, DJ worked at Chase Home Finance for seven years before opening an insurance and investments business in 2005, but saved his free time for the kids. He still volunteered and coached Little League games. He started spending less time in the office and more on the field. He missed that connection with the youth. In 2006 he created Rise and Shine, a junior training football camp. For three days each summer, kids ages 5-12 flooded onto the field and developed camaraderie, learned how to operate as a team, and picked up valuable life lessons. DJ thrived in this environment. He was making a difference, and it never felt like work. He built lasting relationships, reaching out to kids throughout the year to make sure they were staying on track. DJ could see the fruits of his efforts. His community outreach continued when he joined the Monroe Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 2012.
In late 2010 after the stock market drop, DJ started pondering his future. His heart was with the kids, but could he make it his profession? His friend and former teammate Jeremy Many began recruiting DJ to teach and coach, an opportunity to combine his passion and his career. DJ was hesitant. He’d been out of school for 10 years, and he needed another degree and training for upward mobility in education. In November of that year, after many conversations with his wife, Tosha, made the decision to enroll in ULM again. He’d reached his ceiling with financial services. While in school, DJ frequently subbed at schools like Riser Middle, where DJ had attended as a young teenager. He knew the kids at Riser, he knew their parents, and that household knowledge made DJ a valuable asset to the school community.
DJ finished his master’s degree in the ULM Teach Program in 2013 and again enrolled pursuing a master’s in Educational Leadership in 2016. He was named head football coach at Riser in 2013 and assistant principal in May 2020. DJ is where he belongs again. He says, “Middle schoolers think they know everything, but they still need everything.” It’s an awkward age, where they’re not mature enough to make their own decisions but are often forced to adapt anyway. Continuing his efforts outside the school, DJ created Just Run the Play, Inc., a youth program with three flagship services. the Power Play Lunch Series teaches kids to network and introduces them to community leaders and advocates. The Student Athlete Program (SAP) focuses on character development, community involvement, and time-management skills. My Talent My Biz Program teaches the business basics to budding entrepreneurs, turning passion into profit.
DJ has published one book and has two more coming out soon. “Just Run the Play: A Playbook for Playmakers” came out in 2017. It chronicles his first year as a middle school teacher. DJ acknowledges that football saved his life, that statistically he should be dead or in jail by now. Football kept young DJ excited about something. He credits his Little League coach Larry Jackson for instilling a love of the sport. DJ continues to give back to the university by serving on the ULM Alumni Association Board of Directors. He wouldn’t be where he is today without Tosha, his wife of 20 years. Their daughter Dejanai is 25 and their son Jouhnethan is 18 and a freshman at ULM. DJ’s education opened doors he only dreamed possible, and he strives every day to make that dream a reality for the youth in our area. ■
The ULM Alumni Association reaches, connects and celebrates alumni and friends to build lifelong relationships, and commit to the university’s missions of academic freedom, scholarship, diversity, excellence, integrity and service. We represent alumni who honor the traditions of our university and who share a sense of achievement and pride. We create a network of professionals, establish scholarships and advocate for our University through community engagement. Members of the Alumni Association support countless initiatives, and annual memberships are just $35. To learn more or to become a member, please visit our new alumni network at ulm.edu/alumni. 25
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2020
