MOBILE, Ala. - While leading his team to a 12-1 record, Ball State quarterback Nate Davis has earned praise and accolades from all directions.
Add a former All-Pro quarterback and Super Bowl MVP to the list.
Phil Simms, the GMAC Bowl's honorary guest at a luncheon it hosted Monday, said he has watched the Cardinals' quarterback on television a couple times this season. The former New York Giant said he is impressed with what he's seen, and he believes Davis' talent translates well to the NFL.
"I saw him a couple times, and I was intrigued," Simms said. "He looked like he had the size. I love the way he dropped with the football. The way he looked - he had a pro look to him. And the ball came out of his hand very well."
There is one thing Simms said he can't figure out about all-conference quarterback's game.
"I'm the same as everybody else - what is it with the gloves?" Simms rhetorically asked in reference to Davis abnormal practice of wearing a glove on his throwing hand during games. "It doesn't bother me, I just want to know why."
Simms isn't the only person Davis has perplexed this season. Even with an unorthodox preference to wear gloves, the junior plagued defensive coordinators throughout the season.
Davis has the seventh-best passer rating in college football with 164.04. He's also 10th in the nation with 3,446 passing yards, 11th with a 66.9 completion percentage and has thrown 26 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
The junior was also without his top receiver, Dante Love, for the final nine games of the season. Love suffered a career-ending spinal injury against Indiana University on Sept. 20.
There's nothing more Davis needs to do to earn the respect of his opposing coach Tuesday night, University of Tulsa's Todd Graham said.
"We're going against one of the best quarterbacks in the country," Graham said.
Davis' play has been good enough to catch the attention from numerous NFL scouts.
The junior is expected to be a first-day selection in this year's NFL Draft if he chooses to make the jump to professional football.
Cardinals coach Stan Parrish said Monday that Davis would enter an evaluation process that will show whether he's ready to leave for the NFL. The two have not talked about the NFL, but Parrish said the hype around Davis' draft stock has been a distraction.
"I ve got 24 hours to sit down with him and get his focus," Parrish said. "When he's focused he's really good. When guys aren't focused, they leave out little details on the field. It's a distraction, and when you're good enough to have that as a distraction you've got to be able to handle that."
Simms, who currently works as the lead NFL color analyst for CBS, said it's difficult to accurately project how successful a college quarterback will be as a pro because the style of play is different at the next level. But Simms said there is no doubt Davis has the tools to be a starter on Sundays during the fall.
"My first impressions are that he definitely will make it," Simms said. "Where he gets drafted, when he comes out, those are things I don't know. But he is definitely good enough to survive and make it in the NFL."
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