Arizona Rattlers quarterback Nick Davila lives for football. His dedication to the team is nothing short of legendary in Arena Football League circles.
He and the Rattlers recently won the West Division Championship title for the fifth consecutive season. From the front office on down, nothing less is expected.
“That’s what we expect when we play here with the Arizona Rattlers,” says Davila during a recent phone interview. “Anything less would be unacceptable.”
The Arizona Rattlers recently announced—after defeating the Los Angeles KISS—that it is hosting the first round of the 2015 playoffs at 6 p.m. Saturday, August 15, at US Airways Center, soon to be Talking Stick Resort Arena.
“I’ve been drawn to sports, in general, but really football,” says Davila, a 30-year-old Gilbert resident. “As I’m sitting here with my son he’s jumping on the bed with a football in his hand.
“I’ve always loved the camaraderie. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really learned to appreciate what football teaches you when you step out of football—the life lessons that you learn playing a sport like football. Football is not like any other sport, though. For arena football you need eight guys paddling their boats in the same direction. If one guy is not, it can mess up the whole play or mess up the whole season. It teaches you so much about teamwork and that’s one thing I love about it.”
The fans are just as enamored with the sport.
“We have the best fans in Arena Football,” says Davila. “The Snake Pit, the Rattler Nation, they show up and they love their team and we love them.
The Davilas have lived in Gilbert for two to three years, having moved from Southern California. He’s been impressed with the enthusiasm of Arizona sports fans, not just Rattlers followers.
“These fans really love their sports, and honestly they love their football a lot,” he says. “I recently went to a high school football game (Chandler High School vs. Hamilton High School) and there were almost 8,000 people there. They love their football and it obviously shows with how many people come to the Rattler games, especially in the last year.”
On July 31, The Arizona Rattlers were scheduled to play the San Jose SabreCats, a team that Davila calls his team’s biggest rival.
“We played them three years in a row in the conference championship game, leading up to the Arena Bowl,” Davila says. “It seems that every year it comes down to beating San Jose or them beating us.”
A player for the Cleveland Browns in 2007, Davila says the transition from the NFL to the Arena Football League was a little tricky.
“Even though it is football and they have the same concepts, the game’s definitely different,” he says. “Even the philosophy of scoring, it’s more of a basketball-paced game. You always have to keep scoring. It’s fun. It’s been a great ride for me with the Rattlers. I’ve been truly blessed to be a part of the arena football game in general.”
The energy in the crowd—and on the field—is palpable, he says.
“It’s a really exciting game. It’s really fast paced, with a lot of scoring. In Arena Football, you never see blowouts because you can score so quickly and the team that is losing can get back into the game. It’s really exciting.”
While Davila is out seeking The Foster Trophy, his wife, Jessica, takes care of Moses and daughter, Leila.
“My wife, she really steps up,” he says. “She’s a great mother and a great wife to me. She gives me the space I need to be successful on the football field. It takes two to raise a family and I’ve been fortunate enough to be blessed with two beautiful children and a beautiful wife.”
Arizona Rattlers vs. TBA team, US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, azrattlers.com, Saturday, August 15, 6 p.m., $10 and up
