Cairo’s PJ Davis signs with Jacksonville Jaguars

CAIRO — He didn’t hear his name called during last week’s NFL Draft, but Cairo native PJ Davis will still get a chance to continue his football journey, as he signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.

According to Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Davis had interest from the Atlanta Falcons, but coach Dan Quinn and his staff wanted him to work out for them as a fullback on a tryout basis at their rookie minicamp.

Jacksonville offered him a contract, and with it, a chance to make the 53-man roster as a linebacker, his preferred position that he played during his time at Georgia Tech. The signing also means he will be able to stay close to home, with Jacksonville only about two hours away from Cairo.

“They’ve been calling me the past two weeks,” Davis told the AJC. “They’ve been showing me a lot of interest.”

Davis was a two-star recruit coming out of high school. Despite his 5-foot-11 frame, he led the Yellow Jackets in tackles as a sophomore and as a junior, totaling 119 in 2014 and 77 in 2015. Last season, he was fourth among all active ACC players in career stops with 313.

EverBank Field, the Jaguars’ home stadium, was actually the final stop of Davis’ college career, when Georgia Tech played Kentucky at the TaxSlayer Bowl on Dec. 31. He made a key play during that game, returning a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown in the Yellow Jackets’ 33-18 win.