After losing his father and brother, Vinson Davis III finds his purpose in serving others (Part 1)

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois wide receiver Vinson Davis III is poised to move into the top-five in receiving in school history, needing just six more catches to reach that plateau.

His journey to the top has not come easy, but life’s challenges taught him to embrace a greater purpose of serving others.

In high school, Davis III was needed to play quarterback his senior year. It may have cost him several scholarship offers at his natural position, but he led his team to a state championship.

Off the field, Davis III stepped into an even more important role, one he describes as “man of the household” in support of his mom and siblings. You see, he lost his father shortly after his high school senior season, and just this past January, he tragically lost his older brother.

Now a senior at SIU, Davis III has grown wise beyond his years. He continues to serve by sharing the life lessons he’s learned, while using his knowledge and experience to teach the next generation of Saluki wide receivers.

StrongDawgs conversation with Vinson Davis III

Vinson Davis III playing youth football.

SD: Born and raised in Miami? Tell me about your family.

VD: I was born in Miami, lived there until I was six, and then I moved to Miramar in Broward County. I grew up in a two-parent household, mom and dad, three sisters and one brother, and I’m the youngest of the group.

SD: Did your sisters look out for little brother growing up?

VD: Yes, one sister was really protective, Alleeyah, she’s kind of like the mom out of the group.

SD: When did you first get interested in playing football?

VD: I was about four or five when I started playing for the Liberty City Warriors in Miami. My dad kind of forced me out there. I won MVP my first year and stayed with it ever since.

SD: How did you end up playing quarterback your senior year of high school and winning state?

VD: My senior year, I felt like I was ready to have a breakout year at wide receiver, but my quarterback got hurt early in the season. I had to play quarterback, and that kind of showed my versatility as well. I hadn’t played quarterback since Little League, but at that point it was just try and get the ball in the best player's hands and go win. We ended up winning the whole thing.

SD: What were your college options after the season?

VD: Early in my high school career, I had offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Minnesota and Florida Atlantic. Then COVID hit, and I didn't have any Division I offers my senior year until Charleston Southern, about a week after my state championship game. So it was either go to Charleston Southern or Edinboro, a Division II school in Pennsylvania. Some of my high school teammates went there. I went up there on a visit and it was my first time seeing snow.

SD: You led Charleston Southern in receiving as a redshirt freshman. What made you to transfer to SIU after the season?

VD: Our head coach, Coach (Autry) Denson, wasn't getting re-signed to a new contract, so I knew that they were bringing in a new coach. I was hesitant about getting in the portal. It was really my mom that was like, “you have that thought for a reason, you never know what's on other side, so just take the risk.”

Southern Illinois was my last offer out of the four that I had. Coach DJ Davis was at Charleston Southern with me and told me that he was coming back to SIU and would put in a word for me. Coach Hill called and offered me, and then Coach (Blake) Rolan set up the visit. This was the only visit that I took. Once I got here, it was like, there's no point in me going anywhere else. I committed on the spot, right after the basketball game, and it was up from there.

SD: Tell me about your dad. Did he play football?

VD: Yes, he went to Jackson High School and played fullback, safety and linebacker. He said he was pretty good. My dad was a pastor before he passed. He was a hard-working man, who also worked late nights to provide for the family. He taught me about hard work and dedication, and being family oriented.

Vinson Davis III with his dad and brother, Yolvin

SD: What were the circumstances that led to your father passing?

VD: I was 17, a senior in high school. At that time, it was me, my dad and my brother, Yolvin, living in the household. My mom and sisters were in an apartment not too far from it, but we were separated. He passed on January 9th, a day before his birthday. We had just won a state championship, and it was probably one of the best years of my life, up until that moment, obviously.

It caught everybody by surprise. I think some people might know that it's coming, but don't tell their loved ones. I feel like that was his situation. I took him to the hospital two weeks prior. I really didn't think anything of it, but looking back, there were certain signs I didn’t see that I can see now, like little strokes here and there.

I was supposed to take a college entrance test that morning, where I needed his laptop. Calling him from my room, he wasn’t responding. I walked in and realized he had passed away in his sleep.

At that point, I realized I'm the man of the house in this situation, and I have to be there for them. I went downstairs to get my brother and then called the rest of my family to come. The first thing I told my mom when she got to the house, through the tears, was “I got you.”

SD: How were you able to process and come to terms with such a devastating loss in your life?

VD: I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, even in the worst situations. I was really close with my dad. Losing him made me appreciate the rest of my family even more. We were close before, but a situation like that brings you even closer.

SD: Earlier this year, you also lost your brother in another terrible loss.

VD: Yeah, it happened last January, so January is a hard month now. Since the beginning of college, my brother was having problems with drugs. He’d call me during the season, tripping about what's going on in his life. We would talk every few weeks, and I’d check in with him to see how he was doing. The day I found out, I got an Instagram text from my brother’s niece that her mom needed to talk to me urgently. I wasn’t thinking the worst, but when I called, she told me they found him somewhere in Miami, and that he’d overdosed.

SD: How has experiencing these losses affected your outlook on life?

VD: Everything happens for a reason, even losing my dad and brother. I know I’m blessed with my parents and my siblings and family around me. I feel like my purpose in life is helping and assisting people, just being there for my family, making sure I’m level-headed in any situation. I feel like I have to be that person, the man of the household.

In Part Two tomorrow, Davis III quickly develops into an all-conference wide receiver at SIU, and later faces difficult life decisions about his future.