He goes by Drew, D.J. or Smoke.

Three names for one talented player. Oregon senior receiver D.J. Davis said it doesn’t matter what you call him, as his personality is just as versatile as his moniker. The 6-1, 205-pound receiver out of Denver, Colo., was a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com and ranked in the top 25 for receivers nationally coming out of high school. Despite being sought after by many big-name programs, football isn’t what defines him as a person.

Oregon Daily Emerald: You were a big-time star coming out of high school and received offers from California, Georgia Tech, Washington and UCLA. Why did you choose Oregon?

D.J. Davis: I just loved the overall feel. It is a small town and everybody loves the Ducks here. Before I came to visit, I had no intention of coming here, but the place is so welcoming and everybody seems to know each other.

ODE: What kind of playing time or role on the team did you see yourself having as a freshman and continuing until the time you graduated?

DD: I always knew I would start so I worked hard for my role. I contribute wherever necessary. I don’t just catch – I’m a good blocker, a good team player and I am here to learn and mentor.

ODE: You were recruited when Mike Bellotti was still the head coach here, and you played for him. How did you feel about the coaching switch to Chip Kelly?

DD: I didn’t see it coming at all. Once it happened, I thought it would be good for the team. I saw how he would appear, as he is a lot younger and he brought a good mentality with him transitioning from offensive coordinator.

ODE: Coach Kelly seems to be a tight-lipped, no-nonsense guy. Is he easy to play for? What kind of identity does that structure give to the team?

DD: Coach Kelly is one of those people that you will get two views from, as far as the outside and the inside. We have a lot of fun in practice – he cracks jokes and lets loose. A lot of the time he doesn’t sit first-class on the plane, he sits back with the players and hangs with us.

ODE: What are Coach Kelly’s rules on communication with media or social networking? Can you have a Twitter or Facebook?

DD: He doesn’t tell us not to have them, but he says to be careful about whom we interact with and what we say. He has no problem with it but doesn’t want it to be a distraction to the team. I always just think twice about what I post, who I let be my friend or follow me online.

ODE: Last year, fellow receiver Jamere Holland was kicked off the team due to posts on his Facebook page. Do you think he was made an example of?

DD: It was Jamere’s time. We knew he was on his last strike and coach Kelly was changing the culture on the team. It was a bit of an eye opener, but not a surprise.

ODE: The team’s overall character was under scrutiny during the months leading up to the season following the multiple arrests and scandals in the offseason. As somewhat of a high-profile player, do you make a concerted effort to try to fly under the radar?

DD: I don’t make an effort to not be seen. I just try to be a productive member of the community. The majority of the things I do people don’t know about. I like

going to the movies, volunteering, talking to the kids, I just do stuff that I enjoy and go about my life.

ODE: Who did you think was going to win the starting quarterback job in training camp, and how do you feel about the final decision for Darron Thomas to be the guy?

DD: I didn’t have any indication of who it was going to be. So up until he was chosen, I dealt with each quarterback evenly. Coach chose the best person for the job even though Darron and Nate (Costa) each bring different things. Darron has some intangibles, and I don’t think anyone is not pleased at this point in the season.

ODE: Oregon is a run-happy team that operates off the read-option. Is it tough as a receiver knowing you are always a third option?

DD: You can’t even look at it like that. There are games we have had where we go out and pass more, and ones where we run more. We are an equal-opportunity employer.

ODE: What was your favorite game you have been a part of as a Duck?

DD: USC, last year. Despite my stats, that game was crazy. GameDay crew was crazy, Autzen was crazy and on Halloween night you knew something strange was going to happen. We put up a ton of yards and points.

ODE: Your best game this year statistically was against Stanford, the biggest game this year for the Ducks. What was it like to make a difference in such a key game?

DD: It felt pretty good. The thing I think about was all the texts after the game from friends all around the nation. When people say “great game” or “I saw your touchdown.” I think I had 50 texts after that game. It felt great.

ODE: What player, past or present, have you learned from the most in your years here?

DD: Garren Strong. He was a senior when I was freshman. He taught me about life, not football. He is more like a big brother to me. We hang out and talk outside of football. It seems like we were supposed to be connected outside football as friends, even though football is what brought us together.

ODE: As an Oregon athlete, you are eligible for certain perks, including gear from Nike and access to the Jaqua Center and other athlete-only areas in the Casanova Center and training facilities. Do you think these perks are fair and do you use them?

DD: I think it is fair. Some people take it for granted. At other schools they don’t have the Jaqua or treatment centers that Phil (Knight) put money into. It is so beneficial and you need something like that when you devote so much of your time to football. We as players work hard for the benefits available to us. We take advantage of them.

ODE: Chip Kelly said recently: “Pressure is what you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing. We know what we’re doing.” How do you feel about that statement since the team is now so high in the rankings?

DD: No pressure at all. My mind-set is that I want to send myself and other seniors out the right way and nothing else. We just keep playing football. Every time you step out there on the field you can win or lose that game and the way you prepare is what determines the outcome. We have had seven good weeks of practice and here we are at 7-0. We focus week to week.

ODE: What are your future plans? Will you put you name in the NFL draft?

DD: I will put it in, but I’m not sure of my plans. I’m thinking outside of football. It is a great thing to have football in your life but some day it ends. So I am looking at graduate school or performing art schools.

ODE: Is there anything you feel you haven’t been able or allowed to accomplish during your time here?

DD: I wish I would have been able to be in a theatrical play. It would have been good to do something with the people outside of football. I still have the winter and spring though to do that.

ODE: How do you want to be remembered as a football player and student at Oregon when you graduate?

DD: I would like my legacy to be that person who is on this Earth for a purpose. I know everyone is, but I want to be the guy that lights up a room or turns a person’s day around. There are people who remind others why we do the things we do and show people how lucky we are. There is some bad stuff that happens in this world, but I want be the light to the darkness. I want to be that guy.