David Davidkov looks to future as top player in his class
The junior prepares for college while maintaning his love of the game
David Davidkov Twitter
Davidkov (73) runs onto the field with his teammates just prior to a home game
Following the 2018 homecoming game against Evanston, David Davidkov laid in his bed reflecting on his stellar performance. He recalled all the lead blocks hemade as an offensive tackle, his two batted passes and numerous tackles he made on the defensive line, and, most importantly, the win he and his team earned.
Davidkov, who at the time was a sophomore, was obliterating the older players he was facing, which made him realize that he might truly be good enough to play college football one day. What he could have never predicted, were the countless scholarship offers that he would receive from the greatest and most prestigious college football teams in America.
But before that moment and before he knew he had the ability to be great, Davidkov was always silenced by his own doubts.
Although he was 6’6” and nearly 250 pounds, he still lacked confidence needed for him to take his game to the next level.
“The environment [against Evanston] was electric,” Davidkov recalled. “I was ready to go and play.”
He attributed his success against Evanston to him clearing his mind and not overthinking, which he said, “Made me play faster.”
After his dominant homecoming performance in front of the biggest crowd that he ever played before, Davidkov knew he could overcome any roadblocks that he may encounter. He could finally see his immense potential and could see himself achieving his lifelong dream: playing college football.
Perseverance and good fortune run deep in Davidkov’s blood. His parents, Emil and Elena, were Bulgarian citizens who realized they wanted a change. They applied for a green card in 1996, knowing their chances were slim due to the large number of applicants and limited availability of green cards; but against all odds, the Davidkovs received a green card and immigrated to the United States in 1997.
Once the couple had settled in Chicago (which had a large Bulgarian community), Elena was informed by doctors that she would be unable to bear children; however, the Davidkovs once again defied the odds, amazing the doctors by having three children. Little did they know one of them would be Illinois’ second-ranked player in the class of 2021.
Davidkov has achieved great success on the field, but his road to getting there was all but easy. When he was in fourth grade, he wanted to play tackle football after watching the Chicago Bears on TV, but living out that dream appeared to be unlikely.
His parents ran on an extremely tight schedule, being that his dad worked as a truck driver all day and his mom helped him, making them believe that getting their son to and from practice and games would be impossible.
However, Davidkov was determined to strap on a helmet and play, so he started reaching out to his friends to see if someone could help take him to practice, eventually arranging a carpool with his friends who lived nearby.
As the years have gone by and Davidkov’s love for the game has grown, he has played for the Wilmette Eagles in middle school with the goal of playing at high school when that time would come; and with his experience at the high school level, the game has become more natural for Davidkov.
Even though Davidkov has become an unstoppable force on the field, he has made a far greater impact on the team than his role as an offensive tackle who plays defense on a need-be basis would indicate.
Junior Luca Wojewski, a long time teammate and friend of Davidkov’s said, “David is the heart of the team. He’s a true leader and works harder than anyone I know. He may be a big guy, but he’s one of the kindest and most generous people here at New Trier.”
While Davidkov’s future school is unknown, he certainly knows the factors that will contribute to his big decision. He affirmed that education will play a major role in his decision as less than 2% of college football players make it to the NFL; so in the process of representing his college football team, he wants to make his parents proud by successfully raising a family, which starts with a good degree.
Davidkov also acknowledged that he will be looking for a good fit in making his decision, believing that no one can play their best and give it their all in an uncomfortable environment.
Davidkov is a humble and soft-spoken person. He established that “he doesn’t want to go around the halls with [his] chest puffed out because [he has] offers from Ohio State, LSU, and Wisconsin.”
Davidkov just wants to be the best person he can be and leave it all out on the field; and while it is certain that Davidkov will be suiting up for a top tier team on Saturdays, the thought of him eventually playing on Sundays at the professional level isn’t far-fetched.