The NFL scouting combine is a job interview of sorts for college football players looking to make the jump to the next level. As such, you’d like to have all your focus in the right place.

For former Hokies wide receiver Marcus Davis, that was a challenge last week.

Here’s his story, which is in today’s paper:

When former Virginia Tech receiver Marcus Davis arrived in Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine last week, needing to be focused on the job interview of his life, he got some disheartening news.

Davis’ adoptive mother, Lillian Tann, was in the hospital. The retired school bus driver from Virginia Beach, who had fostered a number of children with her husband, Wilford, had taken Davis in for good when he was only a few days old.

While Davis knew the 79-year-old was hospitalized, his family didn’t tell him she had suffered a stroke until he was done with his workouts and preparing to leave the combine Sunday.

“My family was trying to keep me focused,” said Davis, who has spent his time at her side since returning to Virginia Beach. “But at the same time, I think I was thinking about what’s the worst? I think having that thought in the back of my head was actually worse than not knowing what was going on.”

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