Derius Davis grew up in St Feliciana, Louisiana (say that three times fast) and attended West Feliciana High School where he starred both on the gridiron and on the track. Over his final two prep seasons, he led his team with a 31-2 overall record that culminated in winning the state championship as a senior.
Davis was an impact player on both sides of the ball for West Feliciana. As a senior, he averaged seven yards per carry with eight touchdowns and 408 rushing yards to go with 12 catches for another 485 yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver.