For Nolan Davenport, football practice didn’t start July 31.
Practices have been a constant in the Griffith junior’s life — in part because he was the one organizing them during the offseason.
“We’d go up there on our own, mainly on the weekends, and have our own little practices,” Nolan Davenport said. “We’d meet up at my house, walk through a path out to the park and push around the sleds out there or do some footwork drills.”
Nolan Davenport’s role in those offseason workouts helps explain why first-year coach Phil Mason believes players like him can be the foundation for a new era of football at Griffith, which opens the season at Highland on Aug. 18. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Nolan Davenport is expected to be a two-way starter as a linebacker and offensive lineman.
“At any program, you have those who just need to be on the field all of the time, and he’s one of those guys,” Mason said.
Nolan Davenport was on the field plenty last year. He played right tackle on offense and had 20 tackles with one sack as a linebacker. His experience will be vital for the Panthers, who have just one senior among their 48 players, Mason said Monday.
But Mason, who most recently coached at Michigan City and led Andrean to the Class 3A state title in 2013, noted Griffith’s lack of experience is not indicative of a lack of desire. The Panthers won 15 sectional titles from 1981 to 2008 and the Class 4A state title in 1997 but haven’t finished a season with a winning record since 2018.
“We’ve got a group of kids who are pretty hungry for this thing to get turned around,” Mason said. “There’s just been a culture here that hasn’t pushed this thing to where it needs to be, and hopefully that’s what we’re going to do — develop a culture that’s serious about football.”
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Nolan Davenport has been serious about football since he started playing in Griffith’s Pop Warner league when he was 5 years old. Back then, he practiced on the same fields at South Park where he brought teammates during the offseason.
After a full week of official practices, Nolan Davenport said he has noticed a shift in the mood in the locker room.
“There’s more energy here,” he said. “We’re all doing our stuff, and we have a new coach who’s been on us to get it done. Our bond is tight too. We all grew up playing together.”
A rotating cast of players joined Nolan Davenport at those South Park practices, although his twin brother, Jackson, a junior wide receiver/safety, was one of the most consistent attendees. Players from outside the family made it a habit as well. Among them was junior offensive lineman Jovanni Soto, who believes the time they spent together will benefit them in games.
“It was a group thing,” Soto said. “Just the discipline and working together and building chemistry, you’re the ones who are pushing yourselves. No one else is doing it for you.”
Nolan Davenport is used to being part of a group effort in sports. He is one of five siblings, including four boys. Being the youngest helped fuel the competitive streak that still runs deep.
“I’m always trying to outwork everybody, always trying to prove myself to everyone,” he said.
Nolan Davenport said one of his biggest sources of motivation came in 2018, when an older brother, Drew, earned all-state honors as a defensive lineman at Griffith.
“I wondered if I was going to be able to do that,” Nolan Davenport said. “And I wondered if I was always going to be known as their little brother or if I was going to make a name for myself.”
To start making that name his own, Nolan Davenport has specific ideas in mind.
“I certainly don’t want to give up any sacks,” he said. “And I just want to keep doing my job as a linebacker, maybe have a decent number of tackles. That’s always the goal.”
Griffith has a scrimmage against Hobart on Friday before the opener. Nolan Davenport’s face lit up as he discussed the start of the season.
“I’ve been waiting this whole summer, ever since baseball ended,” he said. “I’m excited to the max to get to play football again with all of my buddies.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.