Cody Davis' résumé is unique, with a background in data and IT before he ended up playing special teams for the Patriots.
Entering his 10th season in the NFL, he's found a way to put that graduate degree in data science to good use, serving as a judge for the NFL's fourth annual Big Data Bowl.
"So excited to be a judge for this year's Big Data Bowl featuring Special Teams!" Davis wrote in a Tweet.
"This is the first time my résumé has found a perfect fit! NFL special teams experience with my MS in Data Science from Texas Tech."
The crowd-sourcing competition puts professional and aspiring data analysts to the task of finding innovative ways to look at how special teams is played in the NFL. Contestants have access to three years of special teams data and statistics in a challenge to hone in on what makes for a good punt, kickoff, field-goal and extra-point play.
The winning submission from the 2019-20 Big Data Bowl provided predictions for rushing play outcomes and was adopted by the NFL's analytics team as one of the following season's Next Gen Stats.
Davis will have a chance to help choose the next big development, as well as finalists who will share a prize of $100,000.
He's plenty qualified for the panel, too, having majored in management information systems while on a full scholarship at Texas Tech. In his senior year of undergrad, Davis was named an Academic All-American and earned a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. While playing professional football, he received his Masters of Science in Data Science in 2018.
Judging in the Big Data Bowl is not the only way Davis is using his platform as an athlete and love for computers off the field. He recently launched an initiative called "Cody's Gamers" in February, enabling him to play video games on Twitch with patients at local children's hospitals.
Learn more about the NFL's Big Data Bowl here.
