Did Charles Davis, the CBS and ‘Madden’ Analyst, Play in the NFL?
Although Charles Davis has been involved in the NFL media world for years, he’s only recently seen his profile grow.
After years with Fox, Davis now works as part of CBS’ NFL coverage. Davis also appears in the popular ‘Madden’ series as a color commentator.
Before Davis entered the broadcasting business, did he play in the NFL? Let’s take a look at his career, both on and off the football field.
Charles Davis is a longtime football announcer
A former college football safety at the University of Tennessee, Charles Davis entered the broadcasting industry not long after his career ended.
Davis got his big break in 1997, when Fox Sports South hired him to call college football games. Davis called everything from golf to Arena Football league games in that time.
From 2000-02, Davis also co-hosted his own radio show, Clarke and Davis, with local sportscaster Pat Clarke in Orlando, Fla.
Davis joined Fox Sports in 2006, primarily callling college football games. He also worked with the NFL Network’s college football and pre-draft coverage.
In 2017, Charles Davis joined Kevin Burkhardt and Pam Oliver on Fox’s No. 2 broadcasting team. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, along with sideline reporter Erin Andrews, are the network’s top team.
Earlier this year, Davis signed with CBS and is on their No. 2 team. Davis calls games with Ian Eagle and sideline reporter Evan Washburn.
Davis also appears in the ‘Madden’ series
Although some generations of football fans know Charles Davis for his on-air and radio work, others are familiar with him because of the ‘Madden’ gaming series.
Davis fills the role that the likes of John Madden, Cris Collinsworth, and Phil Simms did before him. Like in real life, Davis is a color commentator who weighs in on the virtual game happening in front of him.
Davis and play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin have held that role since Madden NFL 17 debuted in 2016. The duo replaced Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, who worked on the series from 2012-15.
Gaudin, like Davis did for many years, works on Fox’s college football coverage. Gaudin has also called NFL games in the past on Fox.
Charles Davis played football, but did he play in the NFL?
Charles Davis holds a rare distinction among active, male NFL color commentators: He never played in an NFL regular-season game.
Davis spent the 1987 offseason with the Dallas Cowboys. He never made the team, though, and went back to school to obtain his Master’s when the NFL didn’t work out.
Every other primary NFL TV broadcast crew has at least one ex-player as a color commentator. That ranges from Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman on Fox’s No. 1 team to Adam Archuleta, the former NFL safety who appears on CBS.
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