FIT AND FRUITFUL; USC'S DAVIS LESS LARGE, IN CHARGE.

Byline: Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writer

Ennis Davis almost didn't make it through his first USC practice.

He claims to remember it, although some wonder how that's possible when he was near passing out.

``When I first came here, everyone knew I was out of shape,'' Davis said.

How could they forget? Davis was forced to the sideline, gasping for air during one of his initial college workouts. That was two years and 30 pounds ago, when Davis showed up fresh out of Reseda High, a raw defensive tackle with too much baby fat but plenty of potential.

``In high school, I never worked out. I was just bigger than everyone,'' Davis said.

Davis was so big that USC signed him to a letter of intent his junior season. That might sound illegal, but Davis and his parents walked into coach John Robinson's office during his junior year at Reseda and announced he wanted to sign right there.

If a recruit visits a school on his own, it is legal to sign the player. And USC was willing to take a chance on the then-320-pound version of Davis.

He's still big (6-foot-4, 289 pounds) today, just not as big as he used to be. And he's USC's top defensive tackle, forced into a primary role after senior Marc Matock broke his ankle against Arizona State last weekend.

``He has to be the leader of our group,'' defensive line coach Ed Orgeron said. ``As far as playmaking and toughness, he has to make the plays that Matock did for us.''

One thing is certain: Davis will not be questioned about his work ethic. Since the arrival of coach Paul Hackett, Davis has worked as hard as any USC player to get into shape.

Davis was down as low as 270 pounds during the summer before being told to gain back some weight to become an effective tackle.

``If I had to name the top 10 workers, Ennis would be up there,'' USC strength coach Matt Schiotz said. ``Everyone told me he was 300-and-some pounds when I got here and he was a little soft. I just talk to him a lot and he takes it and runs with it. He's done everything I've asked. Ennis Davis is not lazy.''

Davis credits Schiotz for getting him into shape with a regimen of wind sprints.

``Matt's got me doing sprints. My legs are a lot stronger and more explosive. We used to be a long distance running team last year,'' Davis said. ``We could have outjogged anybody.''

For anyone that knows Davis, the transformation has been vivid.

Davis stopped by Reseda this week to visit his former coaches and teachers. And as usual, he got to hear comments about his trimmer, more muscular physique.

``They had a picture of me that USC sent them, and they were surprised how I looked,'' Davis said.

Reseda coach Joel Schaeffer said Davis is merely continuing to mature and improve, just as he did when he played for the Regents.

``Sometimes you see guys that develop too fast in high school, and they don't have any room to grow,'' Schaeffer said. ``He was a kid that was really starting to develop his senior year.''

Schaeffer remembers Davis showing glimpses of his potential, like the night he recorded 14 solo tackles against Chatsworth.

``It was the most amazing thing, 14 individual tackles as a down lineman,'' Schaeffer said. ``That's one of the most outstanding performances I've ever seen.''

USC is also starting to see similar signs of improvement. Last Saturday against Arizona State, Davis had six tackles, blocked a field goal, forced a fumble and had two tackles for losses.

``I made a few plays. I feel like I made an impact,'' Davis said. ``I'm not surprised at all. I know I'm better than I've been playing. I've really got to pick it up.''

Orgeron has been waiting for Davis to show he can be a dominating player since last spring. He took Davis aside and told him about other defensive linemen he coached that became stars after dramatic weight losses, notably the University of Miami's Cortez Kennedy and Russell Maryland.

``For a player to listen to you, you have to have a track record of success. He's very similar to Kennedy in build,'' Orgeron said. ``He lost a lot of weight and he's listened. He's added a lot of quickness.

``He didn't start as fast as I thought. He's finally coming around to play defense the way I thought he could.''

Schaeffer is equally pleased that Davis has retained his loose, upbeat nature in college. It's not unusual for Davis to break into song while on the team bus, just to break the monotony.

``I'm always singing and acting crazy,'' Davis said. ``Matock and those other guys don't like me cutting loose.''

There's a simple reason his singing is not popular with his teammates.

``He can't sing. He's terrible,'' wide receiver Billy Miller said.

DAVIS PROFILE

Position: Defensive tackle.

Year: Sophomore.

High School: Reseda.

Height: 6-4.

Weight: 289.

Notable: Leads USC with seven tackles for losses this season. Has broken up four passes. Was Los Angeles City Section 3-A MVP in 1995.

Coach's comment: ``If I had to name the top 10 workers, Ennis would be up there,'' USC strength coach Matt Schiotz said about the sophomore defensive tackle (pictured far left). ``Everyone told me he was 300-and-something pounds when I got here and he was a little soft. I just talk to him a lot and he takes it and runs with it. He's done everything I've asked. Ennis Davis is not lazy.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: no caption (Ennis Davis)

Tom Mendoza/Daily News

Box: DAVIS PROFILE (See Text)