5 questions with Roll ‘Bama Roll on Lions defensive line coach Bo Davis

A couple weeks ago, the Detroit Lions filled the shoes of one of their better coaches from the 2017 staff. Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek was one of the more surprising Lions coaches to be let go, but he quickly found work alongside former Lions defensive backs coach Tony Oden with the Miami Dolphins.

The Lions replaced Kocurek with one of the most respected defensive line coaches in college football. Bo Davis has followed Alabama coach Nick Saban nearly wherever he has landed: with the Miami Dolphins, in Alabama for two different stints, and once at LSU.

As with most people in Saban’s staff, the career of Davis has been quietly shrouded in secrecy. So we wanted a little help in getting to know the Lions’ new defensive line coach. We decided to tap our friends at Crimson Tide blog Roll ‘Bama Roll to get the downlow on Davis and what the Lions can expect from him going forward.

Joshua Chatham was nice enough to take time to answer our questions.

1. How would you describe Bo Davis’ coaching style? Is he the guy screaming on the sidelines or the calm and collective type?

Bo was rarely seen much on television, but his personality seems to be more teacher than drill sergeant.

2. Alabama has had its fair share of star defensive linemen. How much of that has been the result of Davis’ coaching and how much is just pure talent recruiting?

Well, it is hard to separate the two because Bo was responsible for recruiting many of his charges, including Da’Ron Payne who will likely be the first DT off the board in April. Still, there is something to be said for a guy who presided over one of the best 3-4 rotations in college football history. That 2015 unit included your A’Shawn Robinson, fellow second rounders Dalvin Tomlinson and Jarran Reed, first rounder Jonathan Allen and likely first rounder Payne. No matter how they come in, turning high schoolers into high picks is a position coach’s job, and Bo did it consistently.

3. What is your opinion of his role in the scouting violation that eventually led to his resignation?

Basically, he contacted recruits during what is known as the dead period, tried to cover it up, and has accepted responsibility. The violation itself probably wouldn’t have got him fired, but as always the lie will get you.

4. Has Alabama’s defensive line shown any signs of decline after Davis’ departure?

The recruiting has fallen off more than the play, though it should be noted that Alabama replaced Davis with longtime NFL coach Karl Dunbar, who inherited a wealth of talent from Davis

5. If you know of any, what’s one story about Davis that Lions fans may want to hear?

Honestly, I wish I had more to offer here, but Saban has an infamous (to media types anyway) policy preventing his assistants from speaking to the media. All I can tell you is that he seemed to be universally liked by his players, was known as a great recruiter, and put a quality product on the field consistently.

Head over to Roll ‘Bama Roll for all your Alabama-related needs, and thanks to Joshua for his time.