Training camp practice had been over for about a half hour Wednesday when Will Davis, his gloves still on, finally headed toward the Ravens' locker room. As he walked slowly up a small hill behind the practice field, Davis sported a wide smile.
"Today was a good day," the fourth-year cornerback said. "When I look at my camp, this could be the little breakthrough practice."
The first couple of weeks of training camp have been a bit of a struggle for Davis, who is trying to come back from his second significant knee injury in as many years. However, he had his best practice by far Wednesday, providing tight coverage and breaking up several passes as the Ravens defense consistently got the best of the team's offense.
"It's so tough. You want to compete, you want to be the best, but when you know you're not who you are, you know you're not 100 percent, it [stinks]," Davis said. "No matter what, you still come out trying to be the guy, trying to be the best you can and trying to get a starting spot. You just keep competing. That's all you can do – worry about you, where you can get better, watch film and just be patient. It's not easy, but damn, it feels good when you start coming back and making plays again."
Davis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as a member of the Miami Dolphins in November 2014. He tore the ACL in his left knee last October in the Ravens' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In both cases, Davis made a quick recovery to get back on the field in time for training camp. However, he's been forced to be patient in his return, a task made more difficult by the fact that Davis is trying to earn a role in the Ravens' crowded secondary.
"The next two preseason games are going to be huge," Davis said. "Some [cornerbacks] are kind of dinged up, so we're going to get a lot of playing time."