Senior Blue Devil of the Year: Deja Davis

Deja Davis hits a home run in Duke's NCAA Regional win over Liberty

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Senior Blue Devil of the Year: Deja Davis

5/26/2022 1:08:00 PM | Softball, Athletics

Softball Senior Sits Down with David Shumate

By: David Shumate, GoDuke The Magazine

This interview originally appeared in the 13.10 Issue of GoDuke the Magazine -- May 2022.

DEJA DAVIS

Softball • Cerritos, Calif.

First All-America in program history after leading the 2021 team in several offensive categories
Started all but a handful of games over four years, with career batting average of .355, the best in program history
First-team All-ACC in 2021 while helping Duke win the ACC championship
All-ACC Academic Team
Program record-holder with 17 triples
Top 25 finalist for national player of the year in 2021
Listed in the Softball America Top 100 Players Rankings for 2022
Two-time team captain
Duke graduate, 2022, with degrees in environmental science and sociology

David Shumate: Let’s begin with commencement, and we’re going to talk about the fact that you’re going to continue to be here next year with the additional year of eligibility due to covid. But it was certainly an unusual four years in Durham, I would think. What did it mean to you to see it all come together and receive your Duke degree?

Deja Davis: Yeah, I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity. It’s flown by and it’s hard to believe that we’ve already graduated. It honestly hasn’t completely set in for me because I’m coming back next year so it may not feel as real for me as it may for others. But it was awesome, and it was awesome to have my family in town and to have had these four years and then the opportunity to celebrate that earlier this month.

DS: You mention having family in town — softball was a relatively new program when you arrived at Duke. Take me through how someone from California ends up in Durham playing for a coach and team that were just getting started?

DD: My dad was the one who really pushed Duke for me. We saw Coach Young out recruiting while I was watching one of our other travel ball teams and he was like, “Oh, you want to go to Duke!” I always took pride in my academics growing up and I knew that I wanted to go to a high level academic school. At the time I didn’t know Duke had started a new program, so I really went after it and just having the opportunity to start a program is so unique and it’s hard to pass up. My family was great about it. I knew I wanted to kind of get away from home and spread my wings a little bit and Duke has been the perfect place for me to do that.

DS: I’ve talked to several of your teammates about this — taking a chance on a new program seems like it would be a difficult decision but for each of you it seems like it was the obvious choice. You mentioned that your dad had some of the first instincts that you should pursue this, but what is it about Coach Young that she’s able to make you guys see and believe in something that had yet to be proven?

DD: Coach Young is so special. She is very family-driven, which was important for me knowing that I was going to be so far from home. She is so incredibly driven and has the highest goals for all of us. She’s believed in me, honestly, more than I’ve believed in myself — and has seen more in me than I’ve ever seen in myself. To have someone like that leading our program truly did make this an easy decision. I think for me she’s also a black female head coach, which was even more of a reason to have made this decision.

The Duke softball team poses in front of the scoreboard after winning the 2022 Durham Regional

DS: This award obviously recognizes both your athletic and academic achievements. Let’s start with the athletic piece. You’re coming off an All-American season in your junior year, setting a record last year in terms of hits in a single season at Duke, of course winning an ACC title as well. I’m sure this year you’re looking to take the next step and make it to the College World Series. Take me through what it’s been like, even this year where you’ve played a little bit of everywhere out in the field — but what has this journey been like on the softball side of things?

DD: You know, this journey has been tough but it has also been super rewarding. I’ve battled a number of injuries during my time at Duke, which has been a really hard thing to go through but just having the support of everyone has really helped. When I came to Duke I honestly had academics at the forefront of my decision-making, and just wanting to play competitive softball, knowing that I could. But to see what our team, and even individually, what we’ve been able to accomplish is more than a dream come true. It’s just been amazing.

DS: Well, you mention the academic side of things, so walk us through what you’ve been studying, and what lies ahead now that you have your degree and plan to return to play again next season.

DD: So I came to Duke knowing that I wanted to study environmental science, and I have my degree now in environmental science and policy, as well as a degree in sociology. I’m incredibly passionate about social justice, so my degree was actually focused on environmental justice. Next year, I’m starting at the Nicholas School pursuing my master’s degree in environmental management with a policy focus. So I’ll be here for another couple of years working on that.

DS: I wanted to wrap up by asking you about the lessons you’ve learned throughout your collegiate experience whether it be in the classroom, through the people you’ve met, or being a part of an athletic program. How have all of those layers put together enriched this period of your life, a time that so many look back on as the best years of their life?

DD: These four years have meant becoming a better person inside and out. Learning lessons every day and having people pour into me while having the opportunity to pour into others. It has been an incredible journey and something that I would do over again in a heartbeat.

Dedicated to sharing the stories of Duke student-athletes, present and past, GoDuke the Magazine is published by LEARFIELD with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707.