TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Chris Faddoul is BACK, as are Jose Romo-Martinez, Xavier Smith, and Jah'Marae Sheread. The four uniquely accent an elite Florida A&M special teams unit. And according to Chili Davis, the first-year leader of the group, if they continue to play "fast, smart, and consistent," even greater success will follow.
 
Continue on for a full position breakdown with Coach Davis. 
 
Coach, your days away from the 2022 season opener at the University of North Carolina (August 27). What's the buzz around the locker room right now? 
 
"You know, I think over a period of time, it kind of gets a little boring, hitting the same person for roughly a month. And now you're looking to apply what you've been taught in a game setting. So, I think the guys are really excited. They're focused on their jobs and they're looking forward to executing.
 
"[The special teams unit], in particular, is focused. They know that their job requires a lot of precision and a lot of consistency to do it at a high level. And so, I think they're really focused, obviously, they're excited, but the nature of the room is to be kind of cool and level, not too high, not too low, you know. And that's exactly where I want them to be." 
 
The special teams unit is often one that's overlooked, but it's a momentum shifter and game changing plays occur in this phase of the game. What are key areas to success in this unit, and how would you assess your group's development? 
 
"Areas of growth starts with their football IQ. We call it FBI; just their knowledge of different situations as it pertains to special teams has grown - knowing what you can and cannot do and what we should and should not do in certain situations. I think guys are really getting better with that. And I also see guys, just throughout the whole team getting better at tackling, knowing their angles, their leverage, the body position that they need to be in, where their eyes need to be, where their feet need to be, where their body needs to be when it comes to a tackle and also carrying the ball. I've seen a lot of growth in those areas." 
 
Chris Faddoul is an elite player that unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in the early goings of last season. How has he handled the last year? What can we expect of him this season? 
 
"He's doing a great job from the neck up and the neck down. The neck up includes mentally addressing the situation the right way. It's him searching from within to find the mental space that he wants to be in, because you know, coming back from an injury, even though it's a physical one, it can be one that affects you mentally as well. I think he's in a great place from the neck up. And then from the neck down, he's obviously performing at a high level and is excited to get going."
 
#43 Chris Faddoul | P/K | 5-11 | 210 | Gr. | Wesley Chapel, Fla.
 
2021: Named to National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society … HERO Sports Preseason All-American (2nd Team) … Preseason All-SWAC Special Teams (2nd Team) … started in three games before season-ending injury at USF … recorded 11 punts for an average of 45.5 yards; three punts pinned inside 20
 
2020: HERO Sports Preseason All-American … College Sports Journal Preseason All-American 
Preseason All-MEAC First Team … William V. Campbell Semifinalist … STATS Perform Preseason All-American
 
2019: Black College All-American … AFCA All-American (2nd Team) … STATS Perform All-American (2nd Team) … AP All-American (3rd Team) … BOXTOROW All-American … All-MEAC First Team Special Teams … Finished second in the nation for yards per punt (46.03) … 50 punts traveled 50-plus yards, highlighted by a season-best 72-yard punt; 19 attempts fell inside the 20-yard line 
 
Jose Romo-Martinez stepped in for Faddoul and had a phenomenal 2021 season. Can you talk about what he adds to the team? 
 
"He adds a lot and is a very versatile guy. He can kick and punt, and I really like where his head is. He views the game the same way I do. He's just ready when his number is called, in whatever capacity. He did a great job last year filling in for Faddoul." 
 
#42 Jose Romo-Martinez | PK | 6-1 | 200 | Gr. | Banning, Calif. / Delaware State
 
2022: Preseason All-SWAC First Team Special Teams
 
2021: BOXTOROW All-American … All-SWAC First Team (Kicker) … ranked 12th in nation in field goals per game and first in SWAC (1.42) … ranked 14th in nation in punt average and first in SWAC (43.35) … ranked 45th in nation in scoring per game and 2nd in SWAC (7.1) … handled kicking duties all season and punting duties post USF … 40 punts for average of 43.35 … 14 punts pinned inside the 20 … 17-24 on the season in field goals with long of 51 yards … added 65 kickoffs for average of 60.7 yards with 24 touchbacks
 
Pivoting to the return specialists, you also welcome back Sheread and Smith. Let's talk about their play and your expectations of them this upcoming season. 
 
"Their play has been great. Like I said earlier, just their knowledge of situations in the game. It's a little bit more than just seeing a ball and catching it and returning it. You've got to know what we're trying to accomplish from a return perspective and then what we're trying to accomplish from a situational perspective. They've just been great. They're very fun to be around. And speaking to all the guys, whether it's the specialists or the returners, they've had success in the past and told me the same thing when I got here – 'We all feel like we can be even better.'
 
'I really appreciate guys that have achieved something, but they're not satisfied. They know that they can be better in those areas, and they have the desire to be better. They're elite returners, but we also talk about being elite decision makers because that's ultimately what we have to do back there. When the balls in the air, we have to make a decision on what we're going to do and I think they're going to execute that at a high level, whenever their number is called." 
#10 Jah'Marae Sheread | WR | 5-7 | 175 | R-Sr. | Houston, Texas / Texas State
 
2022:  Athlon Sports FCS Preseason All-American … Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American First Team

2021: Debut season at Florida A&M after transferring from Texas State … STATS Perform Third Team All-American (PR) …  led nation in yards per punt return (19.9) … ranked 19th in nation with 580 combined return yards … ranked 42nd in nation averaging 101.67 all-purpose yards per game … recorded NCAA single-game high 154 punt return yards in win at Mississippi Valley … added a 66-yard punt return at Alabama A&M, the 11th longest in NCAA … ranked 19th in the country with a team-high nine receiving touchdowns … returned a punt for a touchdown … guided the team with 1,220 all-purpose yards (622 receiving, 358 punt return, 222 kick return) 
 
#19 Xavier Smith | WR | 5-10 | 170 | Gr. | Haines City, Fla
 
2022: Preseason All-SWAC First Team (Offense) … East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List … Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List … Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American Third Team
 
2021: HERO Sports Preseason All-American … STATS Perform Preseason All-American … led the Rattlers' 2021 receiving corps with 713 receiving yards (the sixth most in the SWAC) …  ranked 21st in the FCS, averaging 5.8 receptions per game … added four touchdowns (three receiving) … finished with 1,0006 all-purpose yards (including 60 punt return yards and a team-high 229 kick return yards) … ranked 7th in SWAC in all-purpose yards per game with 91.45
 
2019: MEAC First Team … led the MEAC in receiving yards (1,159) and receptions (77) …  the only MEAC receiver to surpass 1,000 receiving yards … finished second in the MEAC in touchdown receptions (11) …  ranked fifth nationally in receiving yards per game, ninth in receptions per game, ninth in receiving yards, and 16th in receiving touchdowns.