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- 2003 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (AP)
- Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (Penn State)
- Nebraska and Big 12 Records for Career Kickoff Return Yards (2,265)
- Nebraska-Single Game Kickoff Record for Return Yards (186 at Kansas State, 2002)
- Nebraska Season Kickoff Return Yardage Record (994 in 2002)
Senior (Pre-Bowl)
Josh Davis continued in his role as Nebraska's top return man as a senior, finishing a record-breaking career as a kickoff returner. In 2003. Davis' role in the Husker offense increased, and he finished the season as Nebraska's secondleading rusher.
The second-generation Husker is in his third season as Nebraska's kickoff return man and finished the year with 596 yards on 23 returns, an average of 25.9 yards per return, good for 18th nationally. Davis now owns the top three season kickoff return yardage totals in school history, including a school-record 994 yards in 2002. Davis was an honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection as an all-purpose performer from the Associated Press.
Davis' 596 yards in kickoff returns this fall pushed his career total to 2,265 yards, extending his Nebraska school record and breaking the .Big 12 Conference record. Davis' career total has easily surpassed the old league record of 1,798 yards, set by Colorado's Ben Kelly from 1997 to 1999.
Davis added punt return duties to his special teams resume this season. He averaged 8.9 yards on 27 punt returns including a season-long 30-yard return against Utah State. Davis also served as Nebraska's No. 11-back: for much of the season, before Cory Ross took over the starting duties in the final two games of the regular season.
The 5-11, 200-pounder is second on the team with 600 rushing yards, and he averaged 4.3 yards per carry. Davis' top game of the season came against Penn State, when he carried a career-high 32 times for a career-best 179 yards, the best output by a Nebraska I-back in two seasons. His performance in that contest earned him Big 12 Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors.
Davis has produced 121.4 all-purpose yards per game in 2003, placing him in the top 50 11atfonally. Josh's father, Tony, starred at fullback and I-back for Coach Tom Osborne's Huskers (1973-75). The elder Davis had seven career 100-yard rushing games at Nebraska, and Josh's outburst against Penn State made them the first father-son combination to produce 100-yard games at Nebraska.
2003
Oklahoma State-Davis carried 20 times for 95 yards and caught a pass for 12 yards in a 17-7 win. In the return game, Davis brought the opening kickoff of the season back 32 yards and returned three punts for 30 yards.
Utah State-Davis helped Nebraska to a 31-7 victory with 14 carries for 63 yards and one reception for seven yards. He returned three punts for 44 yards, including a career-long 30-yarder and had a 30-yard kickoff return.
Penn State-Davis carried 32 times for 179 yards, with a career-long 42-yard rush. His rushing yards and carries were the most by an NU I-back in more than two years. He also had six punt returns for 58 yards and was rewarded with Big 12 Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors.
Southern Miss-Davis rushed for 42 yards on 10 carries and had a pair of kickoff returns for 59 yards, including a 40-yard return to open the second half.
Troy State-Davis carried nihe times for 38 yard in Nebraska's 30-0 victory. Missouri-Davis broke the Big 12 career kickoff return yardage Tecord with three returns for 97 yards, raising his career total to 1,887 yards. He had a 43-yard return in the fourth quarter.
Texas A&M-Davis rushed 14 times for 63 yards and scored his first TD of the season on a 12-yard third-quarter run. He had three kickoff returns for 61 yards, including a 43-yarder.
Iowa State-Davis rushed 10 times for 22 yards and a touchdown, and returned his only kickoff return of the day 34 yards.
Texas-Davis carried 10 times for 28 yards against the Longhorns and had three kickoff returns for 51 yards.
Kansas-Davis rushed for 36 yards (7 carries) and returned two kickoffs for 48 yards. Kansas State-Davis had 120 yards on six kickoff returns and rushed for 10 yards. Colorado-Davis had a season-long 64-yard kickoff return in the second quarter setting up an NU touchdown in a 31-22 win. He rushed four times for 20 yards.
Career
Davis was Nebraska's top kickoff returner and contributed as a reserve I-back in 2002. He had five games with more than 100 yards in kickoff returns, including a school-record 186 yards on seven returns at Kansas State. Davis finished the sea on with a school-record 994 yards in kickoff returns, breaking his own record set in 2001. He also moved to the top of Nebraska's career kickoff return yards list, surpassing Tyrone Hughes' total of L,493 yards.
Davis averaged 23.7 yards per return to rank 33rd in the nation and finished with 13 returns of 25 yards or more. Davis capped the season with his fifth I 00- yard return game in the Independence Bowl with five returns for I 05yards against Ole Miss.Be added 162 rushing yards on 25 carries, and scored on a 12-yard run against Kansas. He had a season-long 28-yard run against Utah State, as part of a season-high 51-yard day. He caught 10 passes for 58 yards on the year, with a season-best three receptions for 21 yards at Iowa State.
Davis had 25 kickoff returns for 675 yards in 2001. His 27.0 average ranked sixth in the Big 12 and 14th nationally, and helped Nebraska to a No. 8 national ranking in kickoff returns (25.23 ypr). Davis had 12 kickoff returns of25-plus yards,includinga career-best 74-yard return at Colorado. He had five games with at least two 25-yard. returns and had two LOO-yard.kickoff return games in the regular season, with 5-117 vs. Texas Tech and 5-158 at Colorado. He added·five returns for 138 yards against Miami in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Davis rushed eight times for 61 yards as a reserve I-back, including a 13-yard touchdown run at Baylor.
Davis played in the first two games in 2000, but tore his left ACL in practice and missed the remainder of the year. A scholarship athlete, Davis redshirted in 1999. Davis' father, Tony, was a standout running back for Nebraska from 1973 to 1975.