LSU's Walter Davis has scripted the perfect ending to a marvelous collegiate track and field career.
With one eye on the long and triple jump crowns and the other eye on the team title, Davis will try to go out in style this week in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The plan is in place. Now, all Davis has to do is go out and make it happen in the four-day meet that begins Wednesday at LSU's Bernie Moore Stadium.
"To win both events and the team title, that would be the perfect way to go out," a smiling Davis said. "It would be nice to win the (400-meter) relay, too."
To have all that happen at LSU would make it extra special for Davis, a native of Leonville who was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team that competed in Sydney, Australia.
"To get a chance to compete in your last college meet at home is real special," he said. "I got my automatic qualifying mark for the Olympics here (in Bernie Moore Stadium), so I couldn't ask for anything better. I want to leave LSU big."
Davis is doing that, regardless of what happens this week.
In his two seasons at LSU since transferring from Barton County (Kan.) Community College, he has won seven of a possible eight titles in the horizontal jumps at Southeastern Conference indoor and outdoor competitions.
And in his first three NCAA meets, Davis has won the triple jump (2001 outdoors) and finished second in the long jump twice (2001 and '02 indoors).
The opportunity for more national honors is there for the taking. Davis is ranked second in the nation in both the long and triple jumps with marks of 26 feet, 9 inches and 55-5, respectively.
The trials and final in the long jump are scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Wednesday with the triple jump trials and final at the same time Friday.
In addition, Davis will run the lead leg on the Tigers' 400 relay unit in the prelims at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Davis, Robert Parham, Pete Coley and Bennie Brazell have a mark of 38.97 seconds, the second-fastest time in the nation behind Tennessee's 38.66.
"I really like running on the relay, I like to try and give our team the lead," said Davis, who's never run the open 100 in college. "I like to show people that I'm not just a jumper. I'm fast, too."
LSU jumps coach Boo Schexnayder, who says Davis is as God-gifted as anyone he's seen in any sport, is confident Davis could run in the 10.30 to 10.32 range if given the opportunity.
"He has a lot of raw horsepower," Schexnayder said. "He's still got some baggage physically, but I think he's got the potential to be a Carl Lewis or a Michael Jordan.
"Walter can't shoot," Schexnayder said with a grin, "but he's truly a special athlete. We've had some really good guys come through here, but he's the best when you talk about pure athletic ability."
It's that kind of ability that has Davis in a position to possibly sweep the jumps this week even though he's ranked second in both events.
Southern's Brian Johnson, the third-place finisher in the long jump last year, leads the nation with a leap of 27-4 -- seven inches longer than Davis. And with a best of 55-81/2 in the triple jump, Southern Cal's Julien Kapek has a 31/2-inch margin over Davis going into the meet.
Not that he needs any help, but Davis could have an added edge before the competitions begin.
"Walter likes to make some noise, you know, talk a little trash," said teammate Marcus Thomas, who is also qualified in both jumps. "He's good, he even does it in practice.
"I laugh because he'll go up to the dude who he thinks is the best competitor in the meet and he'll get in his head. But the jumpers know it's nothing personal, it's all part of the game."
"We just like to go at it," Davis said. "We usually have three jumpers in meets, so I tell (the opposition) that they had better be ready to take fourth, fifth and sixth because we're coming out 1-2-3. We're all friends after the meet, talking and laughing in the stands."
While Schexnayder doesn't coach or encourage trash-talking, mainly because it's been done to his athletes, he said it's part of Davis' personality -- a part of his makeup that he can't take away at this stage in his development as a world-class athlete.
"He's not a finished product yet, and he doesn't see himself that way, either," Schexnayder said. "There are some things I want to see him accomplish. I'm not talking about medals, there are things he needs to be able to do to be successful in his events."
Maybe, but he's certainly on his way.
