SA football coach speaks to Columbus Rotary Club
One of Coach William "Bubba" Davis defining moments in life was being saved through the power of Christ when he became involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he told the Columbus Rotary Club on Tuesday.
When attending Delta State University as a student, a friend of Davis's asked him if he wanted to be saved.
"I didn't know what that meant," Davis said. "My thoughts associated with church was that afterward you would be able to get something to eat. But the preacher came and talked to us, and he told me that he was going to baptize us."
After becoming a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Davis made a point at wherever he coached that he was going to have FCA, no matter what.
"It changed my life," Davis said. "It led me to the Lord."
Davis is now a football coach at Starkville Academy and has always made sure his players were members of FCA. Mississippi State University is the home to a FCA Chapter. Bill Buckley serves as the District 4 and MSU Campus Director, working with area high school teams and East Mississippi Community College. FCA's headquarters is in Kansas City, Missouri.
"The mission of FCA is to influence the world with the teachings of Jesus Christ through coaches, to athletes," Davis said. "Coaches influence our athletes and they influence other people. As coaches we try and lead them through the problems they deal with."
Davis' coaching career has spanned over 45 years with a record of 213 wins and 103 losses. But with all his accolades he's earned throughout the years, he said it's the kids that he's coached that deserve all that credit.
Recently the FCA gave away 180 Bibles. Davis said that FCA has to raise its own funds to support itself.
Davis is a native of West Point and is back home at Starkville Academy after coaching at schools in Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama.
"We're in the middle of everything right now," Davis said about his current team at
SA. "We have a big district game coming up this Friday against Leake Academy. "We're in a situation where we need to win it. It's like a play off game so we can advance into the playoffs."
Davis said that his team this year has worked hard.
"We made mistakes that cost us one game, which really hurt us," Davis said. "But all you can do is ask them to go out and do the best they can."
FCA will be holding its first annual clay shoot on Oct. 28 at Prairie Wildlife in West Point. Team spots are available and entry forms must be turned in by Oct. 21. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, call Davis at 662-889-6273