Kalia Davis makes 49ers roster; New England Patriots cut Corliss Waitman

West Florida High School alum Kalia Davis has made the 53-man roster for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kalia Davis, an alum of West Florida High School, has achieved the impressive feat of making a 53-man roster in the NFL. Davis, who graduated from West Florida in 2017, was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has secured a spot on their initial roster. As a defensive tackle, Davis played in two preseason games for the 49ers last year before being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on August 23, 2022. In this season's three preseason games, Davis has already made two tackles, both of which came in the 49ers' loss to the Chargers on Saturday.

Davis's success is not the only notable achievement for a local alum, as Alex Leatherwood, an alum of Washington High School, was waived by the Chicago Bears. Additionally, there has been unfortunate news for another local player, as David Durden, a rookie and former receiver for the University of West Florida (UWF), tore his ACL while playing for the Dallas Cowboys.

During his time at West Florida High School, Davis was a standout player, earning the title of PNJ Super Senior in 2016. He played a crucial role in propelling the West Florida Jaguars to the Region 1-5A Semifinals, and his exceptional performance on the field earned him PNJ All-Area honors. Davis's impressive high school career included 107 tackles, nine sacks, and two interceptions.

Moving on to his college career, Davis played for the University of Central Florida (UCF) and participated in a total of 61 games over three seasons. He redshirted his freshman year in 2017 and did not play in 2020. Throughout his college career, Davis recorded 32 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble. His contributions to UCF's football team were significant, as he started in each of the team's final nine games in 2019 and ended the season with 27 tackles, including eight for loss.

In another football-related news, Corliss Waitman, a former punter for Milton High School, has been released by the New England Patriots. Waitman had signed a contract with the team in March but was cut from the roster. This marks Waitman's second stint with New England, as he previously signed a contract with them in 2020. Waitman has had a journey through multiple teams since then, starting with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After spending the 2020 season on the Steelers' practice squad, he signed a reserve/future contract with them in January 2021. However, he was waived in May of that year.

Waitman then had a brief stint with the Las Vegas Raiders before being waived in August. He was subsequently picked up by New England for their practice squad in November 2021. However, Waitman returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers in December after they signed him off the Patriots' practice squad. He made his NFL debut for the Steelers in Week 16 of that season but was waived by the team in January 2022. The Denver Broncos claimed him on January 17, 2022, and he became the team's starting punter for the last season. In his 17 games with the Broncos, Waitman punted 96 times for a total of 4,470 yards, averaging 46.6 yards per punt. His longest punt was 59 yards, and he had 30 punts inside the 20-yard line. Waitman's performance earned him the title of AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 3 after punting 10 times, with six of them landing inside the 20-yard line, during the Broncos' 11-10 win against San Francisco. Throughout his NFL career, Waitman has punted 103 times, with 31 of them landing inside the 20-yard line.

Waitman's collegiate career began at the University of South Alabama, where he punted a total of 158 times over four seasons, averaging 42.7 yards per punt. He transferred to Mississippi State in 2019 but was denied an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA and did not play that season.

With Waitman no longer on the Patriots' roster, the team now has rookie Bryce Baringer as their sole punter, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

In conclusion, Kalia Davis's achievement of making the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster is a testament to his skill and dedication. His journey from West Florida High School to UCF and now the NFL showcases his talent and potential. On the other hand, Corliss Waitman's release from the New England Patriots marks a new chapter in his football career, as he looks to find a new team to continue pursuing his dreams in the NFL.

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