We would like to welcome our next Diamond In The Rough, Davyn Keicher, a 6’1, 205-pound 2027 Tight End out of Pearl River High School. Carrying a 2.8 GPA in his pocket, Keicher recently attended the Live Oak Gridiron Football camp and performed valiantly. Some of his non-football-related stats are a 4.74 forty, a 4.35 shuttle, an eight-foot broad jump, a 17-inch vertical, a 225 max bench, a 375 squat, and a 405 deadlift. He has played many positions throughout his career, including quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. He is primarily sticking with tight end going forward, and he has great ability to get open due to his speed and is very efficient on the catch-and-run. He has also played baseball for most of his life and is open to playing anywhere on the smaller-college side. His dream, however, is to make it to Tulane, and he is certainly capable due to his competitiveness and talent.
Here is my conversation with Davyn Keicher:
What has your football journey been like? At what age did you start playing football, and what inspired you to play football?
At around four years old, I started playing, and my parents put me into it. From there, I fell in love with the game, in terms of everything like the discipline aspect and the physical part of putting your body through physical struggle, and it has really had an impact on my life. The competitiveness is something I really enjoy as well, just wanting to win and dominate the field.
How did you develop a sharp football mindset in order to dominate?
In a way, telling myself, or giving myself an ego, along the way. Telling myself that I can do this if I give it my all and accomplish what I want. Working tirelessly, even on days we don’t even have to go to the field, I still go out there to get better, and it has made a massive impact on me.
Who have been some of the biggest influences in your journey? Family members, coaches, etc?
One of my biggest is my cousin, who played with me. Seeing how he went through not even wanting to play football, and then I convinced him over time to play it, and then here we are today, he fell in love with the game. Unfortunately, he went down with an injury during his senior year. That drove me because I thought, like, woah this stuff can be taken for granted, like you got to wake up every day and take advantage of the opportunity because some people don’t get it that often.
How would you describe the football culture at your school, community, and in Louisiana?
I feel like at my current school, we have always been known as that average team, and it feels like everyone expects this to be our breakout year. Honestly, I believe we have a chance this year to make it really happen, and I’m hoping for it because every year, it’s kind of like, oh yeah, first round exits, people are constantly expecting us to be this 5-5 team every year, and I’m really ready to change that.
Do you have a core memory of playing as a little kid, like when you first started playing?
Yes. My dad, the head coach at the time, had me at quarterback, and it was 4th and 12 or something like that. Nothing was really going on in the game; it was 0-0, and my dad called a QB sneak on 4th and 12, and here I go breaking away down the sideline for 80 yards.
Was playing Tight End something you always wanted to do, or did you have another position in mind at first? I know you mentioned quarterback!
I played quarterback when I was really young, and then I kind of got out of that, and then they put me at running back for a minute, and then that’s what I was. Middle school hit, and then one of my coaches suggested receiver because I lost a bit of weight and I was lengthy. I went through receiver in middle school, then came into high school, and one of the offensive coordinators told me to try Tight End. I was just okay with it at first, and then I’m in the trenches doing the dirty work, and I was like, hey, maybe this is fun. Being able to put my hand in the dirt and go and double-team someone, or go up and make a block on a linebacker, and catch passes.
Who is your favorite NFL player?
I’d say Sam LaPorta currently, and then one person I had in my room was Odell. Then, going back in time, I would say Tony Gonzales.
What’s something about your game that you think separates you from other players at your position?
I’d say most likely, given my size, my ability to get open, come down, make a block, then turn around, use good hands, make a catch, and get a first down for my team.
What part or parts of your game do you feel like have improved the most over the years, and what would you like to improve on?
I’d like to say that I have improved on my route running, and coming out of breaks with it is the most important thing in the sport. Coming off of someone who had a hamstring tear, just kind of building back into that short speed, and I’m getting back into sprinting because I’m trying to get my 40 time down.
Walk me through your preparation during a typical game day.
Get all my schoolwork done, and it can be a challenge being a student athlete trying to get that work done since you have so much thought on Friday night. It’s a mental preparation; I like to put on some headphones and listen to music, and once we get to the locker room, we chill out for a bit. I’m not one of those people who can take a nap before a game; I’m up the whole time. I’m going through my plays, making sure I know my assignments and what to do on this specific play. I go into the game knowing I am the best player on the field, and I have to do my job for the team to succeed.
What were some of the toughest challenges you faced over the years of playing thus far?
I would definitely say switching to a different position and having to maintain my body type, where I can go, still be agile, and be down the field, and also being big enough to move some of these big defensive linemen I have to go up against.
What was the most memorable game you played, and why did it stand out?
Around last year, we played Loranger, and we were at their place, and we were up by two points, and it’s the fourth quarter, and their kicker is up, and we are all on the sideline, he goes in, he kicks the ball and makes it, but we ice him. He kicked it again, and he missed it, and we won the game. It was a playoff game too, and it was a crazy experience.
How would you describe yourself as a leader to your teammates?
I feel like I’m very similar to a majority of my teammates in he weightroom, pushing them, telling them that we have to change the stereotype of our program and that if we want to give ourselves a chance, we really have to buy into the program. I feel like we still have room for improvement, but hopefully, some of the other senior leaders will really buy in and help the younger guys, and if that happens, we will be successful.
When people look back at your high school career, what do you hope they say about you as a player and person?
I hope they can consider me a leader, someone you can joke around with and get better with, someone who wants his teammates to succeed at any cost, and overall, just a great teammate.
Did you play any other sports when you were younger, or do you do any others now?
I picked up baseball around that time and played it for a long time, but then I wanted to focus more on football. Baseball taught me a lot, and it’s a very mentally challenging game. I would encourage anyone to play it. I stopped doing it because of injury and all, I didn’t really have time to squeeze both sports in, and hopefully football carries me forward.
What was the Gridiron Football camp experience like?
It was great. It’s competition, which I love; I love competing, and it’s just an opportunity to see what you have to work on and how you stack up against players you haven’t seen. It really puts out your strengths and weaknesses, and just the opportunity to go out there and go against those guys that have the same goals as me was an amazing feeling.
What were some of your biggest takeaways from it? What is something you learned the most?
I learned that when stuff is not going your way, you can’t just dwell on it because, at the camp, for instance, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough action, and I almost wanted to hang my head, and I was like no, that’s not what we do here. You just have to turn around and say next play, next play mentality. You’ve got to go and try to make a play, and that’s what happened.
What has the recruitment process been like for you? Any offers? Are you getting in contact with any college coaches?
It’s a very tough process, and I’d say it’s challenging to get yourself out there; that’s why I try to go to the camps and do whatever it takes to get noticed. In terms of the recruiting process, I haven’t gotten any offers or gotten to experience anything significant yet because I haven’t really gotten that much interaction, but I’ve had a couple of emails here and there about camp invites, and I’m doing my best to jump on those opportunities to get my name out there.
Is there a specific college or colleges you have in mind that you want to play for?
At the moment, not necessarily, I’ve looked at Coastal Carolina, and I’ve looked at our JUCO schools, other little schools, just trying to send them quick emails. Just trying to make coaches see my name. An absolute dream school that I would love to play for would probably be Tulane. I have been watching them for years.
Why do you believe you can be a difference maker wherever you end up?
I feel like, overall, I’m always willing to work, I’m very easy to get along with, and I’ll fit into any program, especially given how much I really want to win and how competitive I am. I feel like there are a lot of kids who play football because they want to be there and be like, oh yeah, I play football. I’m really there because I love the sport and competing. That’s all I really do, it’s school, football, go home, repeat. That’s just life, and I’m ready to keep it going.
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