Former Alabama Stater Shines in Southern Football League

By Hal Lamar

Fred Davis, a former gridder with the Hornets of Alabama State University, has been away from the friendly confines of Montgomery and the Crampton Bowl for several years but is still playing football and with a gusto.

The running back is now playing for the Atlanta Colts of the 6-team Southern Football League of minor league football and is making quite a name for himself. In a pre season game last Saturday, Davis rushed 8 times for 104 yards and caught a touchdown pass for 53 yards.

In April, he was taken to the Atlanta Falcons football camp and impressed the scouts with a clocking of 4.2 seconds in the 40. The Falcons are considering signing Davis and sending him next year to play in Europe's World League of professional football.

The Commissioner of the Southern Football League is a former Morehouse man. Michael Frazier has played, coached and owned a team in minor league football since 1980. One of the first new wrinkles he added in his first year in the league was a pre-season classic in which all 6 of the teams were formally introduced to players.

Frazier believes that the success of Fred Davis will lure many scouts from the NFL, Arena, CFL and World League to their weekly games. Semi professional football is usually played by former high school and college athletes who still believe they have a shot at making money from their talents.

" I think their knowing that a scout might be in the stands taking notes will force many of these players to treat this as more than just a sandlot Saturday afternoon game, " said Frazier. If you'd like to learn more about the league, you can visit the SFL's web site at www.southernfootballleague.com or by calling Commissioner Frazier at 404-373-5295.

In addition to Davis, black colleges are ably represented in the SFL. Players in the league represent Morris Brown College, Fort Valley, Norfolk State, Albany State, Clark Atlanta, Tennessee State, Knoxville, Morehouse and Miles College.

Information about minor league or semi professional football is available at www.swmich.simplenet.com. There are links and updated information on the more than 400 semi professional teams operating in the United States.

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