No Secret About it, Davis has Evolved since his PRCA Days

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Four-time PRCA champion J.W. Harris poked his head up a little higher than normal last weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina, as Cooper Davis prepared to nod his head inside the bucking chutes.

Harris was on the right bucking chutes looking on just before Davis rode Slip Out for 85.75 points during Round 2 of the Frontier Communications Invitational, presented by Ariat.

Immediately after Davis had ridden Slip Out, Davis climbed aboard the back of the bucking chutes to avoid danger and Harris offered a nod of approval.

Only a few feet away was 2011 PRCA champion Shane Proctor, who also intently watched Davis readjust on the back of Slip Out as the bull began away from Davis’ hand before turning back to the right.

It was only four years ago when Davis was riding in the PRCA and qualifying for his first National Finals Rodeo.

It is safe to say Davis has come a long way from the 19-year-old bull rider he was then compared to the reigning PBR World Champion he is today.

“He is leaps and bounds from where he was then,” Harris said. “He started taking it serious. The guy has always been able to ride bulls. He just had to put bull riding first and take it serious.”

A mature Davis, who recommitted himself to the sport during his PBR rookie year by losing 24 pounds in the final three months of the season, began to rise to PBR stardom by winning the 2015 PBR World Finals.

Davis, who was the fourth rookie in PBR history to win the biggest event of the year, then followed that up by winning the 2016 World Championship at 22 years old.

Now Davis heads into this weekend’s final regular-season Built Ford Tough Series event second in the world standings to Eduardo Aparecido.

The Jasper, Texas, native trails Aparecido by 236.67 points prior to taking on War Cry in Round 1 in San Jose, California, at the SAP Center.

While the quick rise to stardom may be surprising to some, Harris isn’t one bit shocked.

Harris knew pretty quickly when he first met Davis as a teenager at a rodeo school in Mesquite, Texas, that Davis had all of the intangibles to one day be a superstar.

It was just going to be whether or not Davis could handle the mental rigors and distractions of life on the road as he continued to grow into being a pro.

“It is pretty cool to watch him go from whenever you first see him come along to where he is now,” Harris said. “It is pretty neat. It is fun watching those guys mature. They can go one way or the other real quick, and he went in the right direction.”

A second world title this season would make Davis only the second rider to go back-to-back in PBR history.

“Oh, I am excited for him,” Harris added. “I hope he kicks their ass and he goes back-to-back. That would be pretty cool.”

Proctor also isn’t surprised to see Davis thriving in the PBR.

He remembers seeing Davis travel up and down the road with Clayton Foltyn, who is married to Davis’ sister, throughout 2013 and 2014.

“He was always very talented, but he has really stepped up to a new level,” Proctor said. “He has always rode really good, but I think with the maturity and experience he is just getting better. He is a phenomenal bull rider and he has great balance. He has all of the tools he needs. When he stays on top of his game, there is not a better person.

“The year he made the NFR, that year it seemed everywhere he went he was getting better and better. It was just getting the confidence in his riding.”

Proctor and Harris agreed that when Davis made the public commitment to slim down as a bull rider that it was a sign Davis was ready to turn the corner.

“Him slimming down was a game-changer for him,” Proctor added. “It gave him more confidence. He was able to move on the back of bulls. He always had a really cool style and sat up straight, chest up and down. He brings his knees up really well. He floats over the bulls. With him being lighter, it just became that much easier.”

Harris added, “Whenever he first came over to the PBR they called him a little fatass. He took it serious. He went on that run and won the PBR Finals, and he just has been kicking ass ever since then.”

Davis’ maturity and experience has helped him overcome a slow start in 2017 and erase a 1,211.67-point deficit at the start of the second half.

Harris doesn’t think Davis, who is 34-for-78 in 24 BFTS events, has found the same “look” that he had last year during his memorable championship run, but he won’t be counting Davis out any time soon with him being so close at winning a second consecutive world title.

In fact, Davis – the defending event champion in San Jose – is almost facing the same exact deficit in the standings now that he had entering the 2016 World Finals (-222.83).

“It is starting to get there,” Harris concluded. “He kind of went on that run right there after the break and he kind of cooled off. It is going to be hard to replicate what he did last year, but he is keeping himself in there.

“That is all he needs. As long as he has a fighting chance, my money is on Coop.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko