A Maryland Legacy, One Generation at a Time
Vernon Davis built his legacy in College Park. Now, as his son Jianni begins his own career with the Terps, the two are creating new memories together.
Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
10/15/2026
Homecoming week offers fans, alumni and former student-athletes a chance to take a trip down memory lane and relive their favorite Maryland moments.
For former Terp and Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis, though, his favorite memories in College Park are still being made. Now, he gets to watch his son, Jianni Davis, suit up for the same team, adding a new chapter to a relationship that has always felt more like brotherhood.
“It’s not like a regular father-son relationship,” Jianni Davis said. “That’s my dog. We’re best friends in a way. I tell him everything. We have a really open relationship.”
Jianni grew up in the presence of greatness. His father played nearly 200 games in the National Football League, scoring 63 touchdowns and winning a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. Vernon was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022, but to Jianni, he was just “Dad.”
It was pretty regular for me, because I’ve always just seen him as my dad. I grew up being able to see a lot of things that not a lot of people are able to, so it was pretty cool. Standing on the field after a Super Bowl is a pretty cool experience.Jianni Davis
Vernon's career took him all over the nation. His NFL career featured lengthy stints in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., but the place he started his legacy — and where his son is beginning his own — never left him.
“I’ve been so busy, but Maryland has always been on top of my mind and in my heart,” Vernon Davis said. “A lot of people still recognize me whenever I go anywhere, especially in Maryland. It’s been cool. The journey has been amazing.”
It’ll be another hero’s welcome for Vernon when he returns to College Park for Maryland’s Homecoming game against Rutgers, but this time, he’ll have a new role. He’s gone from player to parent to fan, and now, he’ll serve as grand marshal for the weekend.
Homecoming weekend is super cool. Homecoming is what it’s all about. It’s a tradition. It’s a celebration. It’s who we are and what we represent. We’re going to celebrate the culture and everything that has to do with this university. To be able to interact with the fans and be a part of this as a grand marshal means a lot to me. To be able to come back in this way is special.Vernon Davis
Vernon has always had a love for competition and an eye for talent. He was overjoyed to see it in a five-year-old Jianni playing flag football in San Francisco.
“I saw him catch the ball, and he made probably six or seven people miss,” Vernon Davis recalled. “I was like, ‘Wow, this kid’s going to be all right.’ I knew right then and there that he had something in him, a natural ability to elude defenders. I saw that at a very young age.”
Did Vernon help foster his son’s love for football? Absolutely. But did he ever pressure Jianni to follow in his footsteps and play at Maryland?
“Not at all,” Jianni Davis said. “He let me do my own thing. He wanted me to go wherever I wanted to go. He never forced me to play football or anything like that. Getting recruited and committing to Maryland was just my own thing.”
It was a dream come true for Jianni, though he didn’t realize it at the time. The collegiate offers started rolling during his junior year of high school before a phone call from Michael Locksley opened the next chapter of the Davis family legacy in College Park.
“I didn’t even know I had an offer from Maryland until Coach Locksley FaceTimed me and said, ‘You know you have an offer to Maryland, right?’” Jianni Davis said. “I didn’t even know at the time, so that was pretty cool. I chose to come here because of my relationship with Locksley. I liked it when I came here for my official visit. It automatically felt like home.”
Now a freshman running back at Maryland, Jianni is already making a name for himself. Exactly 7,588 days after Vernon scored his last collegiate touchdown, Jianni found the end zone in his first career game.
“That whole week, I was envisioning myself getting in the end zone,” Jianni Davis said. “I was picturing in my head what I was going to do and how it would look. When I scored, I knew in the back of my mind that it was something pretty special. It was pretty cool.”
7,588 days after Vernon Davis' last TD, Jianni Davis scores his first career TD! ????: @BigTenNetwork https://t.co/FLzoRtYOcL
— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) September 6, 2026
I was with my family, and we were screaming and shouting. My daughter was screaming at the top of her lungs, and it was super exciting to see him do that. We were proud of him. We were excited, and it was just awesome seeing him score at the collegiate level.Vernon Davis
They play different positions. Vernon was a tight end, while Jianni plays running back, but his father’s football knowledge still helps Jianni make an impact at Maryland.
“He definitely gave me tips,” Jianni Davis said. “Even when I switched to running back, he was still on the offensive side of the ball. He could still tell me what I could be doing better when the offense is out there, because I always have things I can work on.”
But Vernon takes the most pride in the lessons he’s taught Jianni off the gridiron, mentoring him as a person as much as a player.
“I want people to know that Jianni is just like me when it comes to what he’s attached to,” Vernon Davis said. “He takes pride and joy in all of his commitments really seriously. For him to be able to go to the University of Maryland and be a part of something that I was a part of is a legacy that we get to hold on to. It’s really heartwarming and amazing to witness.”
Jianni’s got big shoes to fill, but his family isn’t putting any pressure on him. Vernon has been nothing but supportive, and he’s bursting with pride for his school, his son and the legacy they’re building together.
“It’s been great having Jianni attend the University of Maryland,” Vernon Davis said. “It’s exciting to think about the years to come. I know he’s going to be a special talent. He’s definitely going to be able to get out there and contribute and help the team win football games. I’m excited about that and about his growth as a football player and as a person.”
