BOULDER — The fact that Colorado coach Dan Hawkins never forgot about place-kicker Jameson Davis looks like it will pay off in a big way.
A freshman, Davis showed the leg that can get the ball into the end zone — booming his first two on Sunday night against Colorado State so deep that they could not be returned.
Davis, from Eagle, Idaho, originally signed with Boise State in 2004 when Hawkins coached the Broncos. Davis delayed his enrollment at Boise State and then participated in 2005 spring drills before heading off to Guatemala for a two-year mission for the Mormon church. He rejoined Hawkins at CU this year in time for spring practice.
“He’s got a very powerful leg,” Hawkins said. “(Forcing a touchback), it’s huge. The odds of a team driving 80 yards and scoring a touchdown are very, very minimal. It might happen once or twice a year. So that’s big. You want to get them trapped back there.”
Playing in his first live football game since earning Idaho all-state honors in 2004, Jameson said he felt “some jitters” before his first kickoff Sunday night. “But when I woke up (Sunday), I felt pretty confident,” he said. “I just wanted to maintain that feeling the whole day.
“I was pretty confident I could get the ball into the end zone,” he added. “Then as the game progressed, maybe I got a little lax. That’s why I popped a couple up.”
Davis said he matured as a person during the two-year mission. He is majoring in Spanish at CU.
“To not know what you really want in life, then to go all by myself to Guatemala for two years – I experienced so many things, it really helped me as a person,” he said.
Davis said that maturity translates into more consistent kicking, Davis said.
“Psychologically, once you’re more mature, you have a lot more confidence,” he explained. “You don’t think about what bad things could happen. You only think about positive things.”
Davis said he has no problem sharing kicking duties with Wyoming transfer Aric Goodman, a sophomore. Goodman handles field goals and extra points.
“That’s fine with me,” Davis said. “Aric is making every single one, so it’s whatever helps the team. That’s all I care about.
“Since I’m kicking off farther than he is, and he is making all the field goals, I think that’s a pretty good combination.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
