Demario Davis named 2020 Saints Man of the Year

Demario Davis might go down as the best free agent signing in New Orleans Saints history not named “Drew Brees.”

Davis has just been named the 2020 Saints “Man of the Year,” making him the team’s 2020 nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. In the team’s press release this morning, the Saints stated:

Davis has been a perfect fit on the field for the Saints as well as in the community in the New Orleans area since signing with the club as an unrestricted free agent in 2018 from the New York Jets. On the field, he has opened all 44 games for New Orleans as the team’s defensive signal-caller and three-time defensive team captain, leading New Orleans in tackles over the period with 306 stops (218 solo), 13 sacks, one interception, 20 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In 2019, Davis enjoyed his finest season to date as he was selected as a first-team Associated Press All-Pro, leading the team with 111 tackles, four sacks, one pick and a career-high 12 passes defensed. In 2020, he has followed that up and opened all 12 games, anchoring the NFL’s first-ranked leader in opponent yards per game, second-ranked run defense and fourth-ranked scoring defense, leading the team with 75 tackles, while adding four sacks and four passes defensed. Overall, in his ninth NFL season, Davis has posted 966 career tackles (647 solo), 26.5 sacks, two picks, 37 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and 24 special teams stops.

Off the field, Davis has been heavily involved in community service, youth engagement, faith-based and social justice initiatives both in the New Orleans area and in his home state of Mississippi. Davis started his own “Devoted Dreamers” foundation with the mission to equip the next generation of leaders (entertainers, athletes, politicians, doctors, lawyers, etc.) with the tools to be successful spiritually, mentally and physically, teaching everything from reading to finances to vehicle repair.

The Saints are incredibly lucky to have him, and we’ve spoken in depth before about what Demario brings to the Saints both on and off the field before. You can watch a clip here:

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