With a family atmosphere and a winning culture, the Panthers were an easy choice for center Kyle Davis, who returns for his second IFL season.
"It was a real quick conversation. I love the team and I love the coaches. It was an easy decision to come back to the Bay and try to do it one more time. That team last year was a family and I'll be with them for life," said Davis.
The feeling is mutual in the words of Bay Area Head Coach Rob Keefe.
"We are excited to once again work with Kyle as we continue to set our championship expectations," said Keefe. "Kyle is a skilled run blocker and is a sturdy presence in pass protection who brings a finisher's mentality to set the tone physically."
Davis is excited to continue to work with Dixie Wooten III, who will once again coach the Panthers' offensive line.
"That's my man. He taught me a lot of things to add to my toolbox. We worked on different hand placements and angles. I could go on and on about Trey. He's a great man on and off the field," said Davis.
There's no resting on laurels for Davis, who is looking to improve and take his game to a new level.
"I have high expectations for myself. I want to be on the top offensive line in the league," said Davis. "I don't want to give up any sacks. I want my quarterback and running back to feel comfortable back there. "
Coming out of Grambling State, Davis played all five offensive line positions. He was prepared to play any of the three spots on the indoor line but found his niche in the middle.
"Center is an important part of the line, so I accepted the challenge and learned to love it," said Davis. "Everybody grows up wanting to play quarterback or running back. Very few kids grow up wanting to play on the O-line. In general, being an offensive lineman is a sacrifice because you don't get accolades and get in the newspaper. It's silent praise."
There's not a lot of silence in the Davis household. Last May, he became a father for the first time, leaving the team in the middle of the week to see his newborn daughter. He rejoined the Panthers in Tucson for a big road win.
"It's not just about me. I now have someone else depending on me," said Davis. "My girlfriend held down the house when I was in California chasing my dreams."
The dream for Davis is to win back-to-back IFL championships. For any title winning team, there are pivotal moments that define a season. But Davis believed the Panthers were for real the first game of the season. The Panthers rallied to beat perennial powerhouse Arizona by a point in the season opener at the SAP Center.
"I felt like our defense was always on point and came up with a few stops. That's all we needed as an offense because we knew we were going to score. The only people that could stop us was us," said Davis.
The win was the first of 13 over the course of 2023 and culminated in the first title in franchise history to complete the turnaround after a 1-15 campaign the year before.
"It was like a movie, and everybody came in with the same mindset to win," said Davis. "We didn't care about what happened with the team before. It was all about coming together for the same cause."
