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Regina Gardner stood with her entire family and watched on the television as her son wound his way through and past the Mississippi defense for a 71-yard touchdown run.
The touchdown, one of three Knile Davis scored for Arkansas in a 38-24 win over the Rebels last week, brought with it a rush of emotions for Gardner.
The 176-yard rushing effort wasn't what nearly reduced Gardner to tears. It was how long it had been since she had seen her son run up and down the field like that without concern for injury or anything else.
''I hadn't seen him run like that since junior varsity,'' Gardner said.
Davis' effort last week marked the third straight game the sophomore has set a career-best in rushing for the No. 19 Razorbacks (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference), the fourth time he's done so this season.
His emergence from a crowded backfield has provided Arkansas with a much-needed boost in the running game in recent weeks, helping complement the SEC's top passing attack.
Davis' sudden rise in production on the field has come at a time when he's started to put off-the-field issues behind him. He's no longer dealing with injuries that have dogged him since high school.
More important, a year after the death of his stepdad and mentor, Davis has found a way to move on.
He was a second grader when Warren Morgan came into his life. Morgan and Gardner didn't get married until 2006, when Davis was already in high school, but Gardner said the bond between the two was already one that could never be broken, calling them ''two peas in a pod.''
During Davis' freshman year in high school, Morgan asked his stepson what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. The answer was simple: Football. From that moment on, the two went everywhere together.
Morgan went with Davis when it was time to run bleachers. He was there at practices. Gardner remembers countless nights when the duo would stay up late in the garage with friends and teammates, ''lifting weights and getting their minds right.''
Cory Jiles, Davis' defensive coordinator at Fort Bend (Texas) Marshall High School, still remembers how often Morgan was around.
''Wherever you saw Knile, you saw him,'' Jiles said. ''I'm talking about practice, during games. He was a big fan and supporter of his.''
Davis' high school statistics aren't much to look at. A broken ankle limited him to 33 carries for 278 yards as a senior, and that followed a junior season when a broken collarbone allowed him to see action in only four games. But coaches liked his speed and he committed to Arkansas after a visit his senior season.
''We just stuck with him,'' Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton said. ''We saw the talent, and getting hurt is part of football. It wasn't a career-ending injury, and it was one we knew he would be back from.''
Once he committed to Arkansas, Davis found out he could graduate and leave for college early. Gardner called the time one of the most difficult in Davis' life, both because she had lost her job and the family was struggling financially and because of the amount of extra work Davis had to do.
''Knile's not really patient, but he had to be,'' Gardner said. ''When I think about Knile, the one word I can use to describe him is, 'Fighter.' He's a fighter. He's had to sacrifice a lot, and he's done it without complaint.''
Davis arrived at Arkansas and a short time later, Morgan was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer. The diagnosis was difficult enough on Davis, who watched his stepfather shrink to ''maybe 100 pounds'' and deal with tumors, a loss of vision in his right eye and speech problems.
Making things worse, Davis reinjured his ankle during his first spring at Arkansas - leaving him alone and hurting his first time away from home.
Davis spent much of that summer back home near Houston, helping to take care of Morgan. He had returned to Arkansas to prepare for preseason practice when he was called home one more time.
Morgan died Aug. 1, 2009, but not before seeing Davis and his older brother, Kobe Davis, one more time.
''It was almost like Warren was really waiting for them to come,'' Gardner said.
Injuries and a crowded backfield with the Razorbacks limited Davis' playing time last season as a freshman. He finished with just 33 carries for 163 yards, all the while hurting because of the loss of Morgan.
This season, Davis has earned a more prominent role through his hard work at practice and patience. Both have paid off in games, and they've been noticed by his teammates.
''The ceiling for him, just a sophomore, you could see another great running back out of Knile Davis in the future,'' Arkansas senior offensive tackle DeMarcus Love said. ''I think the ceiling is unlimited. He could be as good as he wants to be.''
Meanwhile, with his body finally healed and his mind focused on football, Davis has made the most of his opportunity. He's looking toward the future while remembering the past.
''I think about my Pops every day,'' Davis said. ''I think about what he would say out there every game. I kind of already know what he'd say though. In certain situations, I know what he would say. I just go with it.
''He got me here. So, I am thankful for that.''
