Brad Davison Inspires Many at Maple Grove Senior High

Brad Davison benefits from and blesses others through FCA Huddle from Fellowship of Christian Athletes on Vimeo.

Brad Davison stood before hundreds of fathers, brothers and sons at Arise with the Guys last month.

An event that features Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, the Maple Grove Senior High School senior was invited to share a story of faith and sports.

" I was very proud," Maple Grove football coach Matt Lombardi says. "He walked up there with confidence and showed what I've seen through all his years here.

"He was speaking from his heart." 

Davison isn't comfortable talking about his many awards and accolades as a basketball and football star, or even his 28 athletic scholarship offers. But he lights up when asked about his older sisters, who both encouraged him to join FCA, or his mission trips abroad, or his leadership in growing Maple Grove Senior High's FCA Huddle from about 20 students to 200 over the last three years.

"The biggest thing is to surround yourself with the right kind of people and spread your light," Davison says. "Iron sharpens iron."

Matt Detloff is an assistant football coach and also leads the global mission program Brad participated in. Detloff, who played football at St. John's University, can't help but smile when he talks about Brad. "Brad makes people the best version of themselves," Detloff says. " That's because he strives to be the best version of himself."

Brad, though, credits his older sisters for challenging and pushing him to excel on and especially off the court. Stephanie, in particular, encouraged him to go on a mission trip the summer after his sophomore year. That meant he would miss an AAU basketball tournament. 

He remembers specifically making a blue and pink bracelet for two of the children he befriended, Isabelle and Dovonte. 

"They made a huge impact on me," he says.

Brad's first love is basketball, but he was also a talented football player. Head coach Matt Lombardi said he was proud that Brad started a prayer group before games.

"It started with five to six kids," Lombardi says. "Then it was 10. Then last year, they had more than 40 to 45 players, hand in hand. 

"It was so genuine but things grow when there's meaning behind it."