And that's saying something about his passing ability… because the only person ahead of Alexander in the PSU record book is legendary NFL All-Pro Quarterback for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Neil Lomax. During his time as a Viking (1977-1980), Lomax led Head Coach Darrel (Mouse) Davis' "run and shoot" offense which relies mostly on the passing game. Alexander has played in an offense that emphasizes a balanced attack.
This season, Alexander has thrown for 2,736 yards and 19 touchdowns through 10 games. He also has six rushing touchdowns, and the Vikings have a winning record in Big Sky Conference play. Those accomplishments, along with successful career numbers, have put him on the Payton Award Watch List. The Payton Award is given annually to the national offensive player of the year at the NCAA I FCS level.
All this has brought him to the attention of scouts from the Canadian Football League, which emphasizes passing.
If that were to pan out, it would be the perfect capstone to a football career that began in Gig Harbor, Washington when Alexander began playing flag football at age five and tackle at age six.
He chose to switch from baseball (started at age four), because of the example set by his older brother Dillon, an all-league receiver in high school. "My older brother played it. He was four years older than me and I wanted to do everything he did, basically wanted to be him"… also because his mother (Natalie) encouraged him in the sport.
The entire Alexander family was into athletics. Father, Matt, played professional rugby in both South Africa and in the US and his mother played multiple sports in high school.
"I loved baseball, but began to realize that I had a different passion for football than for any other sport. There's nothing better than football season," Alexander said.
In his first two years with the sport, Alexander played lineman and running back. He was moved to quarterback, where he found a natural position for himself. "I love that you are in control of everything. You can audible plays. You have the ball in your hands every play. It's a pressure-filled position and I love pressure and always want the game in my hands, if possible," he said.
His performance at Gig Harbor High School earned him two all-time Narrows League Most Valuable Player awards and the Tacoma News Tribune first-team All-State and All-Area Player of the Year… and caught the eye of most of the Big Sky Conference coaching staffs.
"Every high school coach I talked to in the state of Washington described him as being a winner and he had the stats to prove it," said seventh-year Head Coach Bruce Barnum. Alexander passed for 2,825 yards and 34 touchdowns with only two interceptions as a high school senior.
"As a quarterback, you worry about leadership skills. They said very few have the leadership skills he possessed," Barnum recalled. So, along with several other schools, PSU offered him a scholarship.
Alexander chose the Vikings "because they were one of the first schools to recruit me and Coach Barnum and I had a great relationship throughout the process. It also seemed like a great fit for my skill set for the offense here."
While Alexander has also made an impression with his feet (25 rushing touchdowns so far and an ability to scramble for yardage), it's his passing that caught the coaches' attention and has sparked the post-college interest.
"He can hit a target from 40 yards within two-and-a-half inches 12 times in a row. His accuracy and arm strength are phenomenal," said Barnum.
Alexander also thinks his understanding of the game has helped him to know when to pass and when to run.
"For my physical strengths, I have a very strong arm and am able to extend plays and make defenders miss within the pocket. I'm able to tell what the defense is trying to do and what they're trying to limit. I pride myself on getting us into the correct play based on the defense's look," he said.
To that, Barnum would add leadership. "His leadership in the off-season is why our offense is putting up the numbers it is at this time. He and Anthony Adams organized throwing with the team during the off-season. Their leadership in season and out of season set the stage for our team to come into camp with 'summer repetitions'."
This year-round dedication isn't a surprise because Alexander can't remember when playing Division I football wasn't a goal.
"I always thought I could play D-I football because it was such a major goal of mine. My parents taught me from a young age to believe in myself no matter what," he said, and he started hearing from college coaches as a high school junior.
Like many PSU student-athletes, Alexander took advantage of last year's Covid difficulties to finish his degree, graduating last winter earning a degree in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship with a minor in Business. He was going to major in business, but switched because "I found it really interesting learning about society and the reasons we interact with each other the way we do."
Although he'd like to go into firefighting after football (he sees similar characteristics like high adrenaline and staying fit), if he's offered a chance to continue playing football after this season, he'd grab it.
"I have always wanted to play at the professional level and keep providing new opportunities for myself. I play football because I love it and have an extreme passion for it. The money would be a bonus. I play for the love of the game. I would play there as long as my body would let me," he said.
And that could be a while.
"Toughest kid I ever coached," said Barnum.
In the meantime, he still has passing records to chase at PSU.
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Davis Alexander's Football Career Leaves Him As One Of The QBs Ever In PSU History - Portland State Vikings
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