DATE: Sunday, September 7, 1997             TAG: 9709070331

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C13  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER  

DATELINE: PITTSBURGH                        LENGTH:   73 lines

DAVIS HAS CHANCE TO TAKE SPOTLIGHT

As scouting reports go, it was barely bare-bones.

``What do I know about Stephen Davis?'' Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher repeated last week. ``I know he and Michael Westbrook had a little thing.''

And he paused, fumbling for something else to say, before finally relaying that Davis was a big, ``tough-nosed runner.''

Good or bad, Cowher will know a lot more about Davis after today's game between the Steelers and Davis' Washington Redskins. The second-year tailback from Auburn is expected to make his first career start. He'll replace Pro Bowler Terry Allen, who suffered a fractured thumb in last week's win over the Carolina Panthers and almost certainly will not play.

For Davis, it's a welcome opportunity to have people talk about something other than his involuntary part in a much-celebrated fight with receiver Michael Westbrook during practice on Aug. 19. Davis, recovering from knee surgery at the time, and Westbrook were standing on the sidelines when Westbrook suddenly punched Davis to the ground, then hopped on top and flailed away before being pulled away by stunned teammates.

Westbrook was fined $50,000 and suspended from Washington's final exhibition game. Davis has been lauded by coach Norv Turner and his teammates for the quiet manner in which he accepted Westbrook's apology and his daily insistence that the incident is over.

``That's behind me,'' he said again last week. ``This is an opportunity for me to play football and let people get to know me as that, not as a trouble-maker.''

Davis got a dozen carries in place of an exhausted Allen last week against Carolina and gained 55 yards, including a bruising 17-yard run.

``Stephen can carry the football,'' guard Joe Patton said. ``He's one of the toughest backs I've ever seen run. You can't arm-tackle this kid. He's like Terry in that when he gets into the hole, it's like he's running downhill, he's built so much momentum.

``He's going to surprise a lot of people.''

He shouldn't be that much of a surprise. Davis, 6-foot, 234 pounds, was a 1,200-yard rusher early in his career at Auburn and was even labeled a Heisman Trophy candidate before his senior season. But coach Terry Bowden changed to a more pass-oriented attack Davis' senior year and his carries and yards dropped.

``I don't know what happened at Auburn,'' Davis said. ``I just didn't get the ball. It definitely was frustrating.''

Even so, he finished as the school's fourth all-time leading rusher, behind only James Brooks, Joe Cribbs and Bo Jackson. Drafted in the fourth round by the Redskins, Davis spent most of last season on the bench behind Allen, though when he played, he showed flashes of big-time ability. He had a 39-yard touchdown run against the New York Giants and 35 yards on six carries in the season-finale against Dallas.

``Last year was hard,'' Davis acknowledged. ``I had to accept that I was playing behind a great back in Terry Allen and that I had to incorporate the things he did if I was going to reach his status.''

During the offseason, Davis dedicated himself like never before. He attended every workout imaginable, summer school and skull sessions for incoming rookies, even rookies-only mini-camp. On the first day of training camp at Frostburg State, Turner announced that Davis would spell Allen more frequently this season and there would be times they'd line up in tandem.

Then came the knee injury that sidelined him for 3 1/2 weeks, then the incident with Westbrook.

``I'm glad to hear him say he's let go of the Westbrook thing,'' Patton said. ``It has to be for him to be successful. I have great faith in Stephen. You give him the ball 25 times and he'll break a couple. He's been studying for two years now under Terry, I think he's ready for this.''

Allen, a man of few words, agrees.

``He's big, fast, strong, young and hungry,'' he said. ``He knows that if you're going to play, you have to be on top of your game. He's going to be.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Stephen Davis

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