Elizabeth Edwards once said, “Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.”
That is precisely what Burns Flat-Dill City (BFDC) senior Dalton Davis did. On Friday, May 14, 2021, Davis encountered a life-changing mishap that would ultimately pave the way for his success today.
“He doesn’t really remember much from the actual accident. When he went over the side of the dam after missing a left turn, his motorcycle stayed on the dam which is how someone knew he was down there,” stated Linda Spann, Davis’ mother.
Davis was flown to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City where he was admitted for whole body injuries. Due to his critical condition, he was only given a five percent chance of life. One thing in particular the doctors were sure of, or so they thought, was that Davis would never play sports again. As fate would have it, Davis was more than determined to prove them wrong.
“It was the beginning of my junior year last year that I would go to the gym after school, mess around, and see just how much I could do and what I was able to. I just kept working at it and doing a lot of physical therapy,” said Davis. “It's kind of awesome how hard I worked to be able to be back out there; what all I had to do to. The healing process took a lot, but I’ve had a lot of friends and family help me with everything, too. I’m surrounded by support.”
Although he played basketball, receiving All Tournament in the Weatherford Tournament, and baseball last year, this has been his first season playing football since the accident.
How did it feel after playing your first game back?
“I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be, but I definitely forgot how hard and challenging it was. Even just in practice, I was just super happy to be back out there. You know people dread practice a lot, but for me to be able to be back out there is just super awesome. I’m just really thankful for my coaches and my teammates for pushing me and never giving up on me.”
Davis is the youngest of four siblings. Having grown up with two older brothers, sports and athleticism had been ingrained in him. After the accident, Davis had to work twice, if not more, as hard as those around him to retain his previous strength and abilities. Not only is he unbelievably tenacious, but he is undoubtedly unstoppable. Spectators can see from the stands the amount of will power that radiates from him. It is unmatched.
How was it for you, as his mother, to be able to support and watch him play again from the stands?
“It was really hard at first because I was scared. I didn’t want him to get hurt again. It was a little challenging for me, but now it made me realize how much I missed watching him play football. We argued all the way home from OU, when the doctor had released him, about playing football and I would say, “no” and he would say, “oh yeah I’m gonna play”. So of course, I gave in and seeing his smile and seeing his face on the field makes everything worth it.”
On game days, the BFDC football team greets the elementary students at their cars or off the bus and joins them for morning recess. Friday, September 2, a kindergarten student, who had been bitten in the face by a dog the night before, had a swollen and scratched up face. He was noticeably upset, crying and refusing to get out of the car for fear the other students would laugh and make fun of him.
“Amazingly enough, #12 Dalton Davis was helping [me] at drop off that morning. I explained to the young boy that I have a friend that has a boo-boo on his face, too. That he’s brave and was here this morning to help them. Dalton came over and was so WONDERFUL with [the little boy]. Dalton took his water bottle, and with mom’s help they helped the little boy out of his car. Dalton and the kindergartner fist bumped, he walked him to the door and he went right in to school,” said Desarae Simmons, BFDC Elementary Principal.
“It was super awesome. Definitely a right place, right time type of deal. He was a really little kid and it was awesome to be able to help him out,” expressed Davis.
With the struggles he has faced, one could only assume that this experience has taken a toll on Davis, not just physically, but mentally as well. But for someone with such a positive outlook on the world, that mental toll did not shake him; he did not falter.
“Mentally, it’s been really helpful. In the beginning it was really tiring, stressful and nerve-racking. I would just think I gotta work 20 times harder than everyone else and they all have a start on me. Honestly everyone around me, including myself, had lot of faith that I could do this. I really never stopped working towards all this. I still went to every football practice and throw the ball around. Last year I just supported my team, but not being able to play bothered me a little mentally. But no matter what happens in life, you just have to work hard and never let anyone doubt you, not even the doctors. Always remember not to take life for granted, even the little things. Keep a positive mindset and keep pushing.”
What is something you’ve learned about yourself throughout this whole experience?
“Honestly, I took life for granted and even the littlest things now are so special to me. Doing really anything, like taking a shower! That was really hard for me to do when I go home from the hospital. Feeding myself was hard, even just getting a drink. In the blink of an eye, you could lose it all.”
As his motto goes, “ Pain is temporary, Dalton is forever.”