Chances are good if you turned on a TV during College Bowl season, Rece Davis appeared on your screen. Davis has been a mainstay on ESPN for over 25 years working in various roles for the network. He has done everything from hosting FIFA World Cup shows, to horse racing. From Auto Racing to College Football and basketball.
Davis raised his profile in 2015, when he signed a big extension to stay at the World Wide Leader. His portfolio added College GameDay, taking over as the host of the crazy road show for Chris Fowler, with Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee and Lee Corso. He also took over hosting duties for premier events on both ESPN and ABC, like the College Football Playoff National Championship, the NFL Draft on ABC, the NBA Draft on ESPN and the NCAA Men’s Final Four. As if those assignments weren’t enough, he also does some play-by-play for college football and basketball.
“I don’t think of my job as being hard. I know I’m the luckiest guy around. When you never feel as if you go to work, it’s really easy and fun to do the homework.” Davis recently signed a new extension to remain in the spotlight.
Davis was born in Chicago, but grew up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and calls it home. He attended and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1988.
ROAD TO ESPN/GAMEDAY
Davis worked as a freelance television play-by-play announcer, studio host, and radio personality in select media outlets throughout the state, while a student at Alabama. In 1987, Davis began working as a general assignment reporter for WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
After graduating from Alabama, Davis served until 1993 in various positions at WRBL in Columbus, Georgia. There he worked as a sports reporter, the lead weekend news anchor, and later as WRBL’s sports director.
Davis left Georgia for Flint, Michigan, to begin working as a sports anchor and reporter at WJRT-TV. In March he left Flint for Bristol and began working for ESPN2 and the program SportSmash, where he provided five-minute reports on sports news and scores.
Davis hosted ESPN2’s NBA 2Night in 1996 and 1997. From 1997 through 1999, he served as studio host of ESPN2’s weekend RPM 2Night and Sunday morning RPM 2Day programs. He went on to anchor the program SportsCenter and frequently gave the “Extra Point” report on The Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio. He also sat in occasionally for Patrick as a guest host.
WHY IS HE GOOD
Davis is extremely smooth. I know a lot of studio hosts are, but many of them never leave the studio. He’s out on the road with GameDay every week, amongst huge throngs of somewhat sober college students and fans. The scene is wild and filled with clever signs and loud cheers and boos.
To a broadcaster, things never sound as good out of the studio as they do inside the four walls of the broadcast facility. To be able to be that composed, smooth and polished as Davis is, it’s not easy to accomplish. Things tend to go wrong during live ‘remote’ shows and it takes a real pro to be able to both cover these up and make it appear seamless to the viewer.
There is an ease about him on the air. Don’t misconstrue this as being soft or boring. Davis is a very comfortable watch, and by this, I mean, he’s not in your face, but he’s not making you drift off into space. It’s down the middle, with energy and that’s a great thing to have. There’s a likeability factor, his words, his information and his general comfort on the air lends itself to being a fan of Davis’.
No matter who he’s working with, it always seems like Davis and that individual have a great rapport. Like a manager in baseball, the host of the show needs to know what makes each of their analyst’s great. Trying to get the best out of each of them makes the studio show work well and reflects kindly on the host. There is a great sense of comradery on the set, that feeling really allows everyone to be themselves, knowing each has the other’s back.
The people on the set become like family when a show is really working. Davis was visibly saddened when David Pollack became one of the network’s budget cut casualties. Pollack tweeted a video about his exit. Davis then ‘quote-tweeted’ with some of his own thoughts.
“Class personified,” Davis wrote. “I’ve joked for years that @davidpollack47 is the little brother I never wanted. Truth is, he’s as good a man & as good a friend as I could’ve ever hoped for.
“He’s a brother to me for life. He’s a man of God. A selfless teammate, an exemplary family man,” with Davis also adding in a reply to the tweet that it was a “tough day.” Those sentiments were heartfelt and honest. No fluff here, showing exactly why people enjoy working with him at ESPN.
What is also not underrated, is Davis’ sense of humor is also not underrated. Keeping things light without intruding on the broadcast is a skill most don’t possess. Some hosts may be funnier, but not too many have that sense of timing. When to go for the laugh and when to let it go is an art form. The laughter on set is natural, because you never really know when Davis will spring the one liner on the audience and panel.
For example, last weekend, the GameDay crew threw it to Ryan Seacrest in New York, to promote his Dick Clark’s Rockin New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest on New Year’s Eve. Seacrest, a Georgia alum, said he was, “stoked that my ‘Dawgs are facing the undefeated ‘Noles.”
When Seacrest threw it back to Davis in the studio, Davis used it as a “booking” opportunity to get Seacrest on College GameDay next season. Davis said, “Happy New Year, Ryan. If you really love the ‘Dawgs, you’ll accept an invitation to be the celebrity guest picker on College GameDay one week.” Well played. Davis wouldn’t give up. A few moments later, while chatting with Desmond Howard, Davis said, “Ryan Seacrest, noted Georgia fan. Desmond, it would be great to have him as a guest picker sometime, wouldn’t it?” To which Howard replied, “Absolutely. One hundred percent. We need to get him.”
Good stuff.
DID YOU KNOW?
Davis was named as an outstanding alumnus of the University of Alabama’s School of Communication and Information Sciences in 2001.
Davis told the ACC Network recently about the conversation he had with former ESPN VP of talent Al Jaffe in 1994 and where Davis was when he had that first chat. He relayed the story he was in Columbus, Ohio, interviewing for a job at the ABC affiliate there. He said he talked to Jaffe from a pay phone in the parking lot of a Wendy’s.
“Al said if you want this job, don’t take that one. Put them off,” Davis said. Rece added that he was able to delay the process in Columbus for a little bit after that conversation, long enough to eventually get offered the position with ESPN. “It was a really great moment,” he said. “It was remarkable.”
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
