Former Fuqua School standout Brad Davis, of Victoria, is developing into a standout for the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) football program, drawing a 2018 Preseason All-Southern Conference (SoCon) Second Team selection on offense.

The honor caught the rising sophomore offensive lineman by surprise.

“I was working with Fuqua’s maintenance crew over the summer, and middle of the workday, I saw it on Twitter, and I was just shocked, but I was very honored,” Davis said.

A VMI press release noted that Davis, a 6-foot-4-inch, 301-pound tackle, was tabbed as one of the most improved players on offense in spring practice and has added 40-plus pounds while emerging as a projected starter on the offensive line.

“I feel like spring ball was a big turning point for me,” Davis said, “because during the actual regular season last year, it was a struggle because the adjustment from high school ball to college, not just that but from small private school ball to Division I football. So just understanding new techniques and a new playbook was very difficult in the fall. But I feel like things started to come together for me mentally in the spring, and now everything’s to the point where I’m trying to perfect my techniques on certain plays.”

The release concluded by noting that Davis is doing well in the classroom as well, where he is a Dean’s List mechanical engineering major and was named to the 2017- 18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.