OCEANSIDE — San Diego Strike Force quarterback Nate Davis gripped the wheel as his car pushed east along Interstate 8. With the June 28 bye week for the pro indoor football team offering a rare stretch of quiet, he was bound for his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico — a long road well-suited for introspection.
Reflecting on his NFL career, Davis, now 38, was candid: “The one thing I regret is being selfish, worrying just about myself. That’s the whole NFL thing, playing your role.”
Davis spent the 2009 season as the San Francisco 49ers’ emergency quarterback but never saw game action. Brief stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts followed, both ending in quick releases.
“All my life, I was the guy, and then suddenly, I didn’t know how to react when I wasn’t,” he said. “So I’d think, ‘Okay, I’m not the guy, but let me go somewhere else where I can try to be the guy.’ That’s what I regret most — trying to force the plan instead of rolling with it.”
At Ball State, Davis was a record-setting quarterback, throwing for over 9,200 yards and 74 touchdowns in three seasons, and becoming the first player in school history to pass for over 3,000 yards in back-to-back years. In 2008, he led the Cardinals to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Mid-American Conference title game.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the 49ers, Davis made an early impression during preseason, engineering three fourth-quarter scoring drives against the Raiders, including a one-yard touchdown pass to longtime NFL tight end Delanie Walker and a two-point conversion.
He followed that with a 10-of-15, 132-yard game in a win over the Cowboys and capped the preseason with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jason Hill against the Rams. During the regular season, Davis backed up starter Alex Smith and primary backup Shaun Hill on a Mike Singletary-coached team that finished 8-8.
“Just making it to the NFL was a blessing,” Davis said. “It was never about the money. I just wanted to play football. I think I got too comfortable, like I was on vacation, and that’s part of why I wasn’t playing. Looking back, maybe I should’ve held that clipboard a little longer.”
When the NFL window closed, Davis began a new chapter, signing with the Amarillo Venom of the Lone Star Football League in 2012. Over eight mostly Amarillo seasons, he became one of the league’s top quarterbacks, leading the Venom to back-to-back Lone Star Bowl titles in 2012 and 2013, earning Co-Offensive MVP honors in 2013, and First Team All-Conference recognition in 2017.
In 2020, Davis joined the Duke City Gladiators of the Indoor Football League (IFL), quickly earning 2021 Offensive Player of the Year and setting a league record with 79 touchdown passes.
The IFL differs significantly from the NFL: games are played on a smaller 50-yard field with eight players per side, creating a faster pace and higher scoring. Rules encourage quick decisions and precision, featuring unique elements such as rebound nets and no punts.
For quarterbacks like Davis, this means adapting to a condensed playing space and a more dynamic style.
“When Nate’s out there, the throws he can make — the touch, the accuracy — it really changes the offense,” said Strike Force analyst Drew Ferris. “He throws a clean, smooth ball. The timing and rhythm he brings helps the receivers so much. He’s like a point guard back there — he makes every throw.”
Traded to San Diego in April 2023, Davis appeared in 10 games that season, leading the IFL in passing yards per game (212) and tying for second in touchdown passes with 48. He followed that with 3,100 yards and 74 touchdowns in 17 games in 2024.
Through the first 12 games of 2025, Davis has maintained his strong play, throwing for 1,828 yards and 32 touchdowns with a 64% completion rate. The Strike Force currently sits at 8-4.
“The love of the game — that’s what keeps me going,” he said. “I’m still learning every day, even after 14 years. The game keeps evolving, and I’m always soaking up new knowledge — how to throw, how to move faster in the pocket, how to be a better leader.”
“I’ve got a dog mentality. I want to win. I’m not out there just to have fun — the fun comes when the wins come. When you start losing and stop caring, that’s when it’s time to hang it up. I still get upset over turnovers — I think about every one I made this year.”
During the IFL season in Oceanside, Davis follows a steady routine: waking around 7 or 7:30 a.m., starting the day with the Pat McAfee Show, then practicing from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. After practice, he showers, eats lunch provided by the team, watches film, has dinner, then hits the gym for an evening workout before calling it a day.
“That’s my routine — every day, the same grind,” he said.
The San Diego Strike Force closes out its regular season July 27 at home in Frontwave Arena against the Arizona Rattlers, currently second in the IFL Western Division.
As the team gears up for its final game, Davis’s car rolls steadily east through open desert — a reminder that, for him, the journey isn’t over yet.
“Even after 14 years, I still want to learn,” Davis said. “I want coaches to keep pushing me like I’m still a rookie. People say I have a lot of accuracy, but that’s because I work on it every day. You can’t just expect to go out there and be great — you’ve got to put in the work.”
