College Notes: Iowa State’s Davis opts for NFL Draft

Friday, Dec. 20, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

With one faxed announcement, Iowa State offensive coordinator Steve Loney's job got a lot harder.

Loney for the last two years has built his attack around tireless running back Troy Davis, the first player in major-college football to rush for 2,000 yards twice.

But that won't be possible next season because Davis said Thursday he would forego his senior year to make himself available for the 1997 NFL Draft.

"Unselfishly, we wish him the very, very best," Loney said. "Selfishly, you have to be nuts to say you're not going to be affected losing the best running back in college football."

Davis -- a two-time All-America and the Heisman Trophy runner-up this year -- made his decision after discussing the matter with his family and coach Dan McCarney. It was announced in a statement released by the Iowa State athletic department after Davis and his brother Darren, a freshman running back at ISU, began driving home to Miami for semester break.

"It was a very difficult decision, but I feel it is in the best interest of my family," Davis said.

"The great relationship I have with coach McCarney made this a tougher decision. He is turning around the Iowa State football program and I will miss being a part of that turnaround."

Davis also said he would return to Iowa State to finish work on his degree.

"That is a promise," he said.

Davis' father, William Webster, said the decision was made in the middle of the season.

"We had talked about it when he had gained about 1,500-1,600 yards and he decided that pro might be his best move," Webster said from Miami.

Davis was denied the Doak Walker Award, given to the top college running back. The award went to Texas Tech's Byron Hanspard.

Davis also was second in Heisman voting to Florida's Danny Wuerffel. Webster said a lack of postseason recognition solidified the decision.

"Especially the Doak Walker Award. He was depending on winning that one and he didn't win that one. And the Heisman trophy flew by him, too, so that pushed him toward the NFL," Webster said.

Davis led the nation in rushing the past two years, gaining 2,185 yards this season and 2,010 last year, when he became the first sophomore to reach 2,000.

The 5-foot-8, 190-pounder, who's expected to be a high draft pick, is Iowa State's career leader in rushing (4,382) and all-purpose yardage (5,177) and his 20 100-yard games also are a school record. He holds Iowa State's single-game rushing record of 378 yards, set against Missouri this year.

* POWLUS MUM: Former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz wants him to stay. So does new coach Bob Davie and offensive coordinator Jim Colletto. So what is Ron Powlus going to do? No one knows, and he's not saying. Notre Dame officials arranged a teleconference with Powlus for today, when he was to announce whether he's returning for a fifth year or entering the NFL draft. He asked Davie to attend the news conference in his hometown of Berwick, Pa. Powlus wasn't home Thursday, and his mother, Susan, said he wouldn't be making any comment until today.