Three recent graduates who filled pivotal roles in leading Flames Football to its third consecutive Big South Conference (BSC) title and first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff win are now pursuing NFL career opportunities.
In the aftermath of the NFL Draft, All-BSC first-team defensive tackle Dominique Davis and defensive back Jacob Hagen, the VaSID Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Virginia, signed free-agent contracts with the Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams, respectively, while cornerback Kenny Scott accepted an invitation to an Indianapolis Colts minicamp tryout.
Davis, from Buffalo, N.Y., had a banner senior season for the Flames in 2014. He started all 14 games at defensive tackle, ranking fifth on the team and first among defensive linemen in tackles (62).
He ranked third in the Big South with 7.5 sacks, fifth in tackles for a loss (12.0), and fourth with two forced fumbles.
Hagen, an All-Big South first-team honoree the last two seasons, was named to the Associated Press, FCS Athletics Directors Association (ADA), Sports Network, and Walter Camp Foundation FCS All-America teams.
He was honored as the FCS ADA Top Collegiate Defensive Back and finished seventh in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award (given to the top FCS defensive player in the country).
Hagen was one of 11 Flames selected to the VaSID all-state teams after leading the Flames with 108 tackles, including a team-best 69 solo tackles. The senior from Orange Park, Fla., also paced Liberty with four forced fumbles and had a 27-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the season opener at North Carolina.
His most impressive feat was finishing the year with an FCS-best eight interceptions. None were bigger than the one he grabbed in a 55-48 overtime win at Appalachian State (ASU) on Oct. 11, sealing Liberty’s third victory over an FBS program in program history.
Hagen finished his Liberty career with 245 tackles (158 solo, 87 assisted), the most by a Flames defender since the 2008 season.
Scott, from nearby Appomattox, Va., completed his senior season ranked third on the team in tackles (64, including 46 solo). He also had a career-high 11 passes defended, with three interceptions and eight pass breakups, one against No. 15 James Madison University (JMU) that stopped a potential game-winning touchdown pass on the Dukes’ final drive in the first round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
Scott tied for the team lead with three fumble recoveries, including two in Liberty’s win at ASU, where he returned the second 39 yards for his first career touchdown.
The trio of Flames helped Liberty win three Big South titles (2012, 2013, and 2014), closing out this past season with an upset win over No. 1 Coastal Carolina, 15-14. Following the 15-14 upset at No. 15 JMU and 29-22 loss at No. 5 Villanova in the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs, the Flames (9-5) finished the season ranked No. 17 in both the Sports Network and FCS Coaches polls with the second-highest win total in program history.
