KEARNEY, Neb. — As the Nebraska-Kearney football team continues to raise its profile as a national contender, one player stands at the front as the face of The Rise.

But quarterback TJ Davis would never be one to admit it.

“He’s one of the best ones to every come out of Kearney, Nebraska and UNK," Head Coach Josh Lynn said. "If you’d ever ask him, he would never tell you that. He’s one of the most humble kids I’ve ever coached.”

Davis is the reigning conference offensive player of the year and was runner up for the Harlon Hill trophy given to the Division ll MVP. Davis, however, is quick to deflect personal praise in favor of pushing buy-in to Coach Josh Lynn’s program.

“It’s good to be a part of it, especially something that they preached and you’re seeing it come true - like truly in your eyes," Davis said. "A lot of people can’t say they’ve been a part of something like this.”

Despite his team-first dialogue, there will naturally be questions when you possess a documentary-length highlight reel. Did he consider a jump to Division l before his fifth season at UNK?

“I like to finish stuff (that) I start. If I’m going to stay here and be committed, that’s what I was going to do and I put my mind to that," Davis said. "A lot of people talk about me playing D-1, I really try to (block) it out because I’m in a place where I like where I’m at. It’s definitely one of those things where they put me in a position because I’m happy. I like to be happy so that’s why I’m here.”

In addition the pursuit of a conference title, the community keeps pulling Davis back.

“A lot of people come up to me, a lot of younger kids, like ‘TJ, TJ, TJ.’ You just gotta love stuff like that, especially being one of those kids that grew up in the hallways in school looking up to the older guys in college," Davis said. "That’s one of the things I enjoy, being a role model for the younger kids around here.”

Will that pull be enough to bring the self-described “slippery” QB back for a sixth season?

“Right now, I’m still planning on being right here with my teammates," Davis said. "I’m not trying to look too forward ahead, but as of right now, I’m still going to come back next year for my last year.”

By the end of this season, Davis could be over 100 career touchdowns, first on UNK’s career rushing yards list and fourth in career passing yards. Lynn knows his signal caller’s legacy is secure.

“I think I want people to remember him by is maybe by the kind of person he is, because everyone is going to remember how good of a player he is,” Davis said.

UNK is 7-3 and finishes its regular season at Northeastern State on Saturday.