Antone Eugene Davis (born February 28, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle and guard in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s. He played one year of football for Peach County High School in Fort Valley, Georgia, and was recruited out of high school by the Tennessee Military Institute, for whom he played one year of college football. He earned a full scholarship to play for the Tennessee Volunteers the following year and started at left guard during his sophomore year in 1988. He was moved to right offensive tackle before his junior year and earned unanimous All-American honors as a senior in 1990. He finished as a finalist for the 1990 Outland Trophy as well, and was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles as the eighth overall selection in the 1991 NFL Draft.
Davis played for five seasons with the Eagles, who traded two first-round draft picks to pick Davis. In his rookie season in 1991, he started in fifteen games, missing one start in week seven due to his benching. He started in fifteen games again in 1992, missing one game due to a knee sprain. Davis started in every game for the Eagles in 1993 at right tackle, but was moved inside to left guard in 1994 following the team's pick of tackle Bernard Williams in the 1994 NFL Draft. Davis struggled at his new position and was benched again for the final two games of the season. He began the 1995 season as a backup, but injuries forced him to start in the final thirteen games of the season. Considered a draft bust in Philadelphia, Davis signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1996 and spent two seasons with the team. After his retirement from football, he worked in the food industry as a restaurant owner and manager. He finished as the runner-up on the twelfth season of the reality television show The Biggest Loser in 2011.
Early years
Davis grew up as the youngest of eight children in Fort Valley, Georgia, and attended Peach County High School in Fort Valley. His father, Milton Trice, was raised in North Philadelphia, and moved when he was seventeen years old to Georgia. Davis worked many jobs in high school, including work in the high school cafeteria. He had attendance issues that caused him to be held back in ninth grade. He weighed about at the age of fourteen. Unable to play football as a sophomore because of his grades, Davis refocused and brought his grades up. He played football as a junior, but could not play as a senior due to his class graduating the year prior.
College career
Davis played college football for one season in 1986 at the Tennessee Military Institute, a preparatory school near Sweetwater, Tennessee, that recruited him out of high school after graduation. He received a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee the next year. Following the 1987 season and the graduation of the Volunteers' two starting offensive guards, Harry Galbreath and John Bruhin, Davis was expected to start for the Volunteers at left guard in 1988 as a sophomore. An ankle injury suffered during the season-opener against Georgia on September 3 caused him to miss the next four games, before he was able to return against Alabama on October 15. Before the start of the 1989 season, Davis was moved to right offensive tackle. In the 1990 season, he helped running back Tony Thompson lead the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in rushing with 1,261 yards. He was named as a finalist for the Outland Trophy in November 1990 as a senior, but lost out to defensive tackle Russell Maryland from Miami. Davis earned unanimous All-America honors, receiving first-team honors from the Associated Press, United Press International, Walter Camp Football Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Scripps–Howard Newspapers, Football News, and The Sporting News. He also earned All-SEC honors. Following the 1990 season, Davis won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in January 1991, as the best blocker in the SEC. He played in the Hula Bowl on January 18, 1991, for the East squad.
Davis earned the University of Tennessee's Chancellor Citation for his community service efforts during his college career, including his contributions with the "Just Say No" campaign, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and the Knoxville Community Parks Association. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in urban studies in December 1990.