We’ve all seen the “Hit Heard ‘Round the World,” the now-famous shot of Jadeveon Clowney sacking University of Michigan running back Vincent Smith during the last quarter of the Outback Bowl in January 2013 to force and recover a fumble. Whether you saw it during the game, in the paper the next day or on YouTube, Clowney’s hit has become an important symbol of Gamecock football. While many may have assumed that it was snapped by a photographer for a college football network or ESPN, it was actually one of our very own: the talented (not just lucky) Jeffrey Davis.
Honors college student Davis recently participated in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in Hawaii, studying algebraic graph theory. After he graduates from USC, he wants to continue his education in mathematics through a Ph.D program. “It’s only when I’m not doing math that I do photography,” Davis says.
Davis seems unaware of the magnitude of his own photo making nationwide sports news. “I work for The Daily Gamecock and TheBigSpur.com, but when I got the shot, I was actually with my local newspaper from home, photographing in Florida for the game,” he says. “After I got the shot, I sent it to The DG, and they offered me the job I have now.” Davis photographs anything they need him to for The Daily Gamecock but usually captures football, basketball and baseball action shots.
So how did a mathematics buff decide he wanted to pursue photography? “Well, my aunt’s in the media,” Davis says. “She got me a camera whenever I got into high school, and I just started taking pictures for my local newspaper and the yearbook.” He adds, “When I actually got the shot, I was kind of confused at that point in the game because Michigan had gotten a first down, and the crowd was booing. Then, I saw Clowney start moving, and I whipped out my camera; all of a sudden, there it was…in all of its glory.” He used a Canon 7D for the photograph.
When questioned about the kind of feedback he received, Jeffrey modestly responded that he’d actually had someone from the Press Association tell him it was the best frame of the moment. Davis then adds that a Sumter newspaper actually printed it without his permission, “…which was fine,” he says. “I know there are at least four or five other shots that are similar to mine. I didn’t really try to market it or anything, though.” He shifts in his chair and adds, “I’m not so motivated to do anything like that; I just like taking the pictures.”
When asked if “The Hit” is his favorite photo he’s taken, Davis looks away for a millisecond, gathering his thoughts and answers assuredly. “As far as the picture itself, I don’t know if the Clowney shot is the best quality picture. It’s definitely the best moment, but there have been a lot of other pictures I’ve taken, like at basketball and baseball games, that are really good quality,” he says. “Most days, my pictures are in The Daily Gamecock if anyone wants to look at them.”
