Florida Gators Safety Shawn Davis Channels Odell Beckham Jr. With One-Handed Interception

In the NFL, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is the man known for one-handed [...]

By John Newby

In the NFL, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is the man known for one-handed receptions after his big play against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 as a member of the New York Giants. Any time a one-handed catch or interception is made, the player who achieves the feat is generally compared to Beckham. This was proven true on Saturday afternoon when Florida Gators defensive back intercepted Auburn quarterback Bo Nix.

Following yet another fumble by Florida in a mistake-filled first quarter, the Auburn Tigers were set up to score and take the lead for the first time in the game. However, Davis made a wild one-handed interception on Nix's pass to start the second quarter and ran all the way to the Auburn 31-yard line.

The Gators scored a touchdown following the interception, their second of the day, and remained in the lead. Although Auburn did score a touchdown of their own to make the score 14-13.

While Beckham's catch may have come on a bigger stage considering that it was on Sunday night when the whole nation was tuned in, Davis' play had a very similar impact. He set up a critical score and helped the Gators maintain their lead after a turnover-plagued first quarter.

As it turns out, this play is a step in the evolution of Davis' growth into a trusted defender in Gainesville. By his own admission, the junior was lacking in confidence during 2018, which led to struggles on the field. Now, however, he is embracing his role and is impressing fellow members of the secondary.

"Yeah you definitely can, I think you see that in the way they play," cornerback Marco Wilson said about the confidence of the safety group. "When someone is confident, they play with a lot more comfort, and they can make actions quicker, and they are just very confident in their assignment. That's very important. You can play faster, so [if] you see someone play faster, they're definitely confident."

"Shawn is just a really physical guy. He can support in the run game. He also covers really well. So when I have 31 behind me, I'm confident that he got my back and that he's gonna be able to make some plays."

To prove this point, Davis certainly made a play that benefited his team, all while being compared to Beckham. Interesting choice considering that the Browns star attended LSU, a rival of Florida.

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