JASON IVESTER Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Arkansas linebacker Wendel Davis (47 ) reaches to tackle Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin (1 ) during the Hogs ’ 38-7 loss Oct. 4 at Razorback Stadium.

Arkansas' unrelated Davises sure seem to relate to each other.

Junior starting defensive end Adrian Davis of Rosenberg, Texas, and junior starting linebacker Wendel Davis of Sweeny, Texas, have related lettering on the Razorbacks'defense going on three years now.

Adrian Davis certainly could relate sympathetically when his linebacking buddy, related by team but not blood, tore an ACL in his knee during a winter offseason workout.

That compounded when Wendel Davis broke his hand during a summer off-thefield altercation after missing all spring with the torn ACL which Wendel already knew would have him sidelined for Arkansas' early games.

" He was kind of down when he first did it, " Adrian Davis said. " I stayed in his ear, told him to work hard, that we were going to need him before the season was over. "

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Adrian stayed in his ear, Wendel worked hard and now Wendel has played three games and will make his second straight start in today's SEC West clash against 20 thranked Auburn, Ala.

" Last two weeks he played pretty hard and played good for us, " Adrian said. " I tell him every day that he should be thankful that he's still playing right now. He's been through all that stuff that happened in the summer, that knee injury. "

It's been a lift for a guy who was down.

" He wasn't too much talking, like he usually did, " Adrian said of Wendel until the knee responded well enough for him to play. " He hadn't been hanging out with us too much. Just been keeping to himself a lot. You could just tell he wasn't the same. "

It had been enough to get him down, Wendel admitted.

" I really got to a stage where I wasn't very social and didn't really go out very much, " Wendel said. " I hadn't been in this situation before. I didn't know how to handle it. I'm back on my feet and can see the light now. Hopefully I will never go back to where I was. "

Wendel not only sees the light but sees action. He's gone from scout team - perhaps partly as punishment for the altercation but mainly because it was thought he would redshirt if the knee didn't seem game-fit - to his dozen tackles starting at Will linebacker last Saturday against Florida.

For today's game at Auburn, Wendel shifts to middle linebacker while redshirt freshman Jerry Franklin moves from middl e linebacker to the weakside.

" Honestly, I thought redshirting would be my best bet, " Wendel said. " But we were really low at linebacker depth and I knew I could be of help. Coming back was the best decision for me. Somebody told me, ' There are a lot of times you don't get the opportunity to play. So once you get the opportunity, take advantage of it. ' I thought about that really hard. That's holding true. "

First-year coach Bobby Petrino, first-year defensive coordinator Willy Robinson and first-year linebackers coach Reggie Johnson, all knowing an experienced linebacker could help cover the some glaring defensive deficiencies, kept scouting Wendel on the scout team.

" The coaches knew I could be some kind type of help, " Wendel said. " They had me back in there. And they started giving me more reps. The next thing you know I started getting reps on defense and no more scout team. When they saw me on the scout team, they knew I could play defense. "

Bobby Petrino knew Wendel could play if health and circumstances permitted.

" He worked extremely hard to rehab it and come back, " Petrino said. " Then of course we had the incident at the end of summer. Then he found himself with a cast on. He had a time in there when it was a tough period for him whether to redshirt. We made the decision that he could really help us get in there and win games. I think he has shown tremendous improvement. "

With some tremendous help, Wendel said, from his friends.

" It was really important just having teammates care for me, " he said. " They didn't want to see me keeping my head down and things like that. Adrian, Malcolm [Sheppard ] Chip Gregory... they just were trying to keep my head up. It was really important. "