FFE Week 3 Player of the Week: Gideon Davidson, Liberty Christian Academy

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Mother Nature wasn’t kind to Liberty Christian Academy in the first game at its brand-new football stadium.

But Bulldogs fans didn’t seem to mind - they’re used to watching lightning strike on the gridiron every week.

And when running back Gideon Davidson puts up a night like he did against the Eagles, it almost feels routine.

“It kind of is,” said Bulldogs head coach Frank Rocco. “We’re just very thankful that he’s a Bulldog.”

Davidson etched his name into the record books last Friday, scoring the very first touchdown on his new home field, and following it up with four more, including a 56-yard punt return.

“We’ve been really excited as a team,” said Davidson. “Myself, I’ve been very excited getting into the Seminole District, now that we’ve got these two wins. I’m just excited to see where this season takes us.”

His domination early this season has been a welcome sight for the Bulldogs, who had to sideline Davidson for their playoff run last fall.

“It was a high-ankle sprain. I tore nine ligaments in the right ankle,” said Davidson.

Though his sophomore season ended prematurely, Davidson has picked up right where he left off after an intense offseason.

“I would definitely say my dad pushed me to become better because, coming off an injury, you’re not going to be the same level as you were before you got injured,” he said. “My dad pushing me to get better and get back at the level I was was kind of just encouraging and it pushed me to get back to a healthier and better level than I was.”

Training to get back on the field wasn’t his only offseason burden, though.

A four-star prospect, Davidson was recruited by some of the top Division I programs in the nation.

In June, he made his commitment to Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.

“As a junior, to get that over with this early, not many juniors do that,” said Rocco. ”They want to continue to have all the hype and name in the paper and all that kind of stuff. Well, Gideon said, ‘Get this over with in my junior year so I can really focus on the last two years of high school.’ I think he did learn a little bit about how important this whole thing was, knowing he’s going to have something big happen in the future.”

“I’d say it was overwhelming at times, but the majority of it was fun and exciting,” said Davidson. “I just got opportunities to meet with big, high-level coaches, get to see what they do in their program. It was pretty fun. I’m excited the process is over. Now I can focus on one team.”

With that decision in the rearview, Davidson can set his focus on this season at LCA, and Rocco says having a player of his caliber directly impacts how the Bulldogs operate their offense.

“The things that we do offensively, I think really enhance what he does, and obviously it makes what we do even better,” said Rocco. “It’s a really good marriage there and hopefully it’s preparing him for the next level with the things that we’re having him do.”

Gideon got to play alongside his older brother, Caleb, for the past two seasons, but the little bro is now the main attraction.

And with his family right by his side, Davidson’s bringing a storm warning of his own to a football field near you.

“It’s very important and exciting,” said Davidson, on sharing these moments with his family. “They’re great supporters. They’re with me throughout the whole journey and I love it.”

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