NFL Hall of Famer and former Georgia Bulldogs running back Terrell Davis is headed to Athens to watch his old college team take on the Auburn Tigers this Saturday.
The "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" game is one Davis knows all too well because, for him, it was a turning point in his football career.
It was Davis' senior year when he was not only tasked with bouncing back from a hamstring injury that he suffered earlier against Tennessee that season, but he also had to climb his way back up the depth chart and prove to NFL scouts that he was worth a pick in the upcoming draft.
Playing Auburn on Nov. 12, 1994 marked Davis' first start since that hamstring injury, and it would become an important one on his way to redeeming himself.
"It was very important in my redemption story because when I came back my senior year, I was not playing well," Davis said. "I tore my knee up, or my hamstring, and when I came back, I fought my way to becoming a starter again. Auburn was the first game that I started my senior year after fighting, after basically being left for dead, and I had the best game of my career at Auburn. We didn't beat them. We tied them."
Georgia and Auburn tied 23-23, snapping the Tigers' 20-game win streak and ruining their perfect season along the way.
Despite missing three games, Davis finished his senior season with the Bulldogs rushing for 445 yards and six touchdowns. He would go on to become one of the biggest steals in draft history after the Denver Broncos selected him in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
A rookie tailback, Davis went from eating hotdogs on the sideline to earning a starting role. From there, he was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year award winner, won two MVPs, and helped Denver win back-to-back Super Bowl rings. In 2002, Davis decided to throw in the towel after rushing for 7,607 yards and 60 touchdowns through 78 career games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Terrell Davis Georgia vs. Auburn Prediction: Bulldogs Win 35-21
While Davis will be reminiscing on the sideline over his redemption story on Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs will take the field where they'll fight for their own comeback after falling to Alabama last week.
Davis believes Georgia has what it takes to respond to their devastating Week 5 loss with a win over the Tigers at home, though he thinks it will still be a battle for the Bulldogs.
"I think Georgia bounces back," Davis said. "I think that was a wake-up call. So this one would probably be a 35 to 21 type game. Anytime someone says Auburn, I think about that game because I had a really good game. We played in Auburn and they always, always, play us tough. So we gotta be prepared.
"Georgia has to be prepared to play Auburn."
The Bulldogs are heavy favorites by 24.5 points, leaving the Tigers as road underdogs. The over/under for the game is set at 52.5 points.
Georgia and Auburn have met 128 times with the Dawgs currently leading the series 64–56–8.
Davis Teams Up With Wells Fargo, Roderick Robinson II
Davis will not only be in town to watch Georgia's homecoming game but he will also be there to share financial advice with student-athletes on behalf of a partnership with Wells Fargo .
"This is awesome because Wells Fargo is really finding a way to pay it forward and give back, investing in these student-athletes," Davis said. "My role comes in with the knowledge that I have from my experiences and I'm always trying to give back to the next generation, whether that's on or off the field, whether it's financing, whether that's sports, relationships. And I'm a firm believer that if you have information, that you have knowledge about something, you should always give back. You should always give the information to the next generation, so that they don't make the same mistakes, or they can benefit from the knowledge that you have."
Davis has already been handing out advice and mentoring Georgia running back Roderick Robinson II.
"Rod and I went to the same high school in San Diego, Lincoln High School," Davis said. "So I watched him during his high school career was a fan, and met him many years ago. And so we've stayed in contact. I try to mentor him and give him advice on the field and off the field."
Financial advice is needed more now than ever in college sports with many star athletes earning an income, thanks to NIL deals.
Davis, on the other hand, never had to worry about handling big-time money until the NFL. And he admitted that he has no regrets about missing out on the NIL era -- except for maybe "the little things."
"I think we all think about, 'What if?' ... What if that was around when I played?" Davis said. "And I think you don't know any different because your normal life was what it was. And I thought I had a pretty decent experience in college. But did I want a car? Yes. Did I want to have some better clothes, absolutely. I wanted to be able to fly home to California when I wanted to, absolutely. Did I want to go and eat at better restaurants than just eating at the local chicken joint? Absolutely.
"So I think it's just you think about little things like that and how it would have changed. But overall, I don't know if it would have impacted my experience that much because I had fun in college."
Fans can watch how Davis' Georgia vs. Auburn prediction unfolds this Saturday on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Related: How to watch, stream, and listen to Georgia Bulldogs vs. Auburn Week 6 college football game
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