Sporting’s Jake Davis has grown into new role: ‘I wasn’t playing soccer the smart way’

The Sporting Kansas City roster has had its depth tested at multiple points in 2023. The club’s depth was stretch thin as possible on the back line, but a surprise candidate stepped forward and grabbed hold of the right-back position.

Graham Zusi and Kayden Pierre were injured, and Sporting needed a solution at right back until Zusi returned from injury.

Cam Duke was given the first crack at filling the position. The New England Revolution targeted his side of the field repeatedly, and both of their goals in a 2-1 win over Sporting came from overloading that side.

Sporting’s next match was just 72 hours later against Tulsa Athletic, a lower-level opponent that allowed Sporting to test new things out — including Davis at right back.

“He was a little overzealous, but I thought he played really well,” manager Peter Vermes said of Davis’ play after the 3-0 Open Cup win over Tulsa. “He was good on the ball, he was calm, he wasn’t trying to rush things.”

It was Davis’ first true chance with the first team, and he capitalized. But there was a journey to get that opportunity in the years before that moment.

Roots in Rochester, Michigan

Davis grew up in Rochester, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit. His dad, Jason, was his youth coach.

It was clear to Jason and Davis’ mother, Kim, that their oldest son was talented. And the next step at some point, if Davis wanted to continue his development, was a move to a pro academy.

“We made sure that the decisions he’s made along the way — not just moving to Kansas City, but all of the decisions — were coming from him,” Jason told The Star.

That conversation Davis had with his parents was one Jason says took on a very realistic approach.

“It was a thoughtful conversation, weighing out what the benefits were and what the challenges were going to be,” Jason said. “There was a lot of struggle ahead if he did this. It’s gonna be hard. And it certainly has been.

“It’s been rewarding, but it’s been hard.”

Jake Davis arrived at the Sporting KC academy in 2017 injured and had to watch for two months while others got the first crack at making an impression. So when he got healthy he knew he needed to prove himself. It’s a mentality that has lasted.

“I want to prove myself every day,” Davis told The Star. “I want to prove that I’m a good player, not just a good right back, and that if they need me in a different position, I can help.”

Channeling his emotions

It’s safe to say Davis carries a bit of a chip on his shoulder. However, it seems to come with a heavy dose of humility.

That may not have always been the case. When he first arrived at the club, the word “raw” came to Davis’ mind.

“When I got moved up, the player and person I was, I think, was very raw,” Davis said. “I was kind of like a wild animal, going off emotion and instinct.

“I wasn’t playing soccer the smart way.”

His manager’s view?

“The challenge for him was controlling his emotions on the field,” Vermes told The Star. “He had a hard time with that, and that affected him in his game.”

His father, Jason, told stories of Jake and his younger brother Dylan — now a freshman on the University of Michigan’s soccer team — playing soccer in their basement.

“There would be times when Dylan, his younger brother, just didn’t want to play with him,” Jason said.

Dylan would tell Jason, “It’s too much playing with him. He gets too mad.”

Johnny Russell spoke about that feistiness of Davis in an interview with The Star — and said he believes it’s a reflection of how much Davis wants to win.

“That’s all stuff you want in someone; you can’t really teach that,” Russell said. “And you could see from the start he had that in him.”

Russell said he and a few other veterans in the locker room spoke with Davis about channeling that intensity and energy in a different way. And to his credit, Davis listened.

“Those guys have helped channel that into a more respectful passion for the game,” Davis said.

If you ask Vermes and Davis, they will tell you that’s been his biggest area of improvement.

For Davis, it clicked when Vermes spoke to him about how overaggressive moments within a game didn’t help the team.

“What you do in training reflects in the game,” Davis said. “And if I’m making these silly challenges in the game, it’s not gonna help the team.”

Staying ready for his opportunities

Now, Davis’ top focus is on the team. He took that mentality to extra lengths this offseason.

“I think one of the things is that Jake tried to shut off a bunch of noise around him and tried to get a lot more focused on what he had to do,” Vermes said.

Davis said he managed his diet more consistently while taking part in Sporting’s offseason training program every day. He worked hard to give himself the best chance to be successful if and when he was called upon for first-team action.

“I’m not saying that because I did all that, I was rewarded,” Davis said. “But that gave me the best chance.”

He also has taken some motivation from another Michigan athlete, just like his brother.

Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who attended Michigan, gave an interview to David Novak of the oGoLead podcast and had a quote that stuck with Davis.

In their family group text, Jason says the Davis family often shares interviews, memes and things they see on social media. That interview with Brady was one of them.

“He talked about during training, he might only get five reps. But he said, ‘I’m gonna make sure that those five reps are the best they can possibly be,’” Jason said.

That is the mentality that has led to Davis being ready for his opportunity when it arrived.

“Right now, I’ve been playing right back, and I need to focus on the thing I need to do at right back,” Davis said. “And that’s all I can do: get better every day at the things I need to do in the game.”