A tailback at Loras College from 1994 to 1997, Shane Davis was known for his rushing. Now that he's graduated and moved on to the Iowa State Troopers, he's also known for his rushing to save lives.

One snowy and bitterly cold day last December, Davis -- a newly appointed trooper -- came upon a vehicle that had slid off the road, flipped and landed in a culvert filled with ice and water. Davis, followed by his partner, trooper Kurt Lechtenberg, raced down the embankment, plunged into the cold water and began trying to rescue the vehicle's occupants -- a female passenger who was conscious and a male driver who was not.

In cold water up to his chest, Davis tried to open the front passenger door, which would not budge. He then crawled through the water and through the rear passenger door and discovered that the woman was pinned between the dashboard and her seat -- in danger of both drowning and freezing from exposure. Davis held the woman's head above water while he readjusted her seat, freeing her and removing her from the car.

Davis and his partner performed CPR on the male driver, but he did not live, though the female passenger did. Davis was hospitalized briefly for hypothermia and exposure.

Last month, Davis became just the second Iowa State Trooper recognized for his heroism with the Governor's Award of Valor. This is a prestigious honor that is awarded to officers and firefighters who, while serving in an official capacity, distinguish themselves by the performance of a heroic act in excess of the normal demands of police or fire services even though they were aware of the threat to their personal safety.

Iowa Gov. Thomas Vilsack presented Davis with the award in a ceremony attended by many of Davis' friends and family, including his football coach from Loras, Bob Bierie.

"When he played football here, you knew Shane Davis was a remarkable individual," Bierie said. "This (award) only proves that point further."

Davis earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and coaching in 1998 from Loras, where he also is the school's all-time leading rusher leader. He chalked up 4,734 yards and an average of 6.82 yards per carry during his career, along with 48 touchdowns. He also owns five of the Duhawks' top-10 single-game rushing efforts, including a school-record 382 yards against the University of Dubuque in 1997. He topped the 100-yard mark eight times during his senior year, rolling up 1,774 yards and earning first-team all-America honors.

After graduation, Davis worked for the Cook County sheriff's office in Chicago. He completed the basic training to be an Iowa state trooper last November, and he had been on the job only a little more than three weeks before the rescue.

"Shane was always such a team player and concerned about the well-being of others that it didn't surprise me one bit to learn that he had performed such a heroic and unselfish feat," Bierie said. "Shane is the epitome of what we want to instill in all student-athletes here at Loras College.