Presented by

Mentorship from Demario Davis helps talented Devoted Dreamer turn potential into success

"I always wanted to play in college and the NFL. I just didn't know if I would have the resources."

Oct 15, 2025 at 09:11 AM

John DeShazier

Senior Writer

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis kicked off his 2025 Devoted Dreamers program with the 18th Ward on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. The program focuses on teaching leadership and personal growth to local youth.

Bralan Womack met Demario Davis, the New Orleans Saints' five-time All-Pro linebacker, when Womack was in eighth grade, selected for enrollment in the Davis' Devoted Dreamers program.

The program is a youth development initiative aimed at boys from grades 6-12, blending academic excellence, mentorship and sports. Davis and his wife, Tamela created the foundation to help guide and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow.

"People try out for the team and so usually, all the kids are pretty talented because you're picking them based on talent and kind of what you can tell from a character standpoint," Davis said. "You knew that he was going to be a good player, but a lot of them are. You don't know that he's going to become what he is now."

What Womack is now, is a five-star safety committed to play football at Auburn University. He soon will complete his senior season at Hartfield Academy in Flowood, Miss., and will further his career at Auburn next fall.

Much of the credit can be traced to Devoted Dreamers and the relationship between Womack and Davis.

"I always wanted to play in college and the NFL," Womack said. "I just didn't know if I would have the resources. I grew up in Magee (Miss.) and I moved to Brandon (Miss.), Coach Demario's hometown, and that's when things started to take off. I started getting into the recruiting cycle — he helped me with that. It was just like, God sent a blessing. Coach Demario was a blessing. He helped me work my way throughout the recruiting process."

Rather than direct, Davis advised. "I think you live in a time where everybody wants to get behind the curtains of these athletes, and everybody wants to be in their circle," Davis said. "You've got agents coming left and right, family members and everybody wants to be an advisor. And I was very standoffish, like, no, that's not what this is. I'm just going to use the information that I have and [what] I've learned, to give back what I wish somebody would have told me.

Before Womack committed to Auburn, he made a phone call.

"He called me and was like, 'I'm getting ready to commit,'" Davis said. "And I said, 'I want to find out when everybody else does. Your decision is your decision, it's between you and your family.' I didn't know he was committing to Auburn until he announced it. I was telling him that what I want for him and his parents, as they go on this journey, is to keep that space sacred. What's for them is for them.

"I'm just proud of the man that he is. He was a young boy when he came into the program. And now he is a young man on his way to becoming a leader in this world, and I think Auburn is very blessed to be getting a player like him."

Auburn will receive an athlete who already understands top-level training; Womack has trained with Davis and a defensive backs coach.

"I remember when we stopped doing 7-on-7, he was one of the kids that called and was like, 'Do you mind if I go play with another 7-on-7?'" Davis said. "It was like, yeah, you're good, we don't have a team. But just the fact that you took the time to call and ask that.

Womack also showed commitment. "We would have programs in Mississippi and New Orleans and he would travel to both. So, I think that spoke highly of the character of kid that he was. He reached out to me and was like, 'Can I train with you, do you mind?' And I was like, absolutely.

"The things that he [took on] were available to everybody, but he just bought in. I never had to reach out and say, 'Hey, Bralan, you want to come and do X, Y, Z?' He was reaching out, his parents were reaching out and they just maximized."

That friendship and mentorship is helping Womack navigate a difficult senior season. Hartfield went 10-2 and lost in the semifinals his freshman year, 14-0 and won the state title his sophomore year, 12-2 and won state last year, but has won just two of the first seven games this season.

"Everything is not going to always be perfect," Womack said, sounding much like Davis would. "Everything is not always going to be the way you want it, because you're going to be tested. I feel like this is a great test for me before I go off to college, face a little adversity.

"Coach Demario always told me, the strongest soldiers are going to get the hardest battle. God knows everybody's limits, so he knows if you can withstand the storm or if you're not strong enough for it. I'm sure God believes I can withstand this battle."

Photos: Demario Davis and Devoted Dreamers Foundation host "Dining for Dreams" event

Saints linebacker Demario Davis and his Devoted Dreamers Foundation held their second annual "Dining for Dreams" event on Monday, October 13, 2025. Davis and his teammates served dinner to patrons to celebrate community, connection, and giving back.