Teddy Davenport was nearing the end of his rope.

Enduring a third coaching change in as many years and questioning his role on the UAB football team, the Georgia native was considering an entry into the transfer portal and dropping down to the FCS level.

His brother would hear nothing of the sort and demanded Davenport fulfill his obligation and follow the family creed.

“We don’t fold.”

Davenport conceded to his sibling’s argument and regrets nothing as he prepares to suit up for his first Children’s Harbor game at Protective Stadium, where UAB honors patients of childhood disease with their names affixed to the back of its alternate gray and lime uniforms.

Kickoff for the Blazers’ seventh annual Children’s Harbor game, against South Florida, is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Davenport will wear the name of Allie Milstead, but will also carry the honor of representing his brother, Trent, who was diagnosed with autism and severe verbal apraxia when he was only two years old.

“It’s definitely incredible, especially having those kids come to the game,” Davenport said. “I’m really blessed and my relationship with my brother has made me thankful every day. He’s the smartest one in the room at any time. He’s got a device he can type on and he talks to us on it. He’s magnificent. He’s so brilliant and smart.”

Read more on UAB football:

Position breakdown for UAB vs. South Florida

Blazers ready to face South Florida in 7th annual Children’s Harbor game

Trent Dilfer previews UAB’s annual Children’s Harbor game

According to a three-year study, published in 2020 for the Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics, currently one in every 36 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and two-thirds of those diagnosed will develop verbal apraxia, which results from damage to the posterior parietal cortex or corpus callosum of the brain.

When Trent Davenport was diagnosed, almost 20 years ago, only one in every 125 children was given an autism diagnosis.

Despite his verbal limitations, Davenport’s father, Chris, who was a college teammate of Samford head coach Chris Hatcher at Valdosta State, is bewildered by his son’s intelligence and cognitive abilities. Both Chris and Teddy laud Trent’s sheer brilliance and ability to fully understand the world around him.

“We took over guardianship last year and he’ll always be with us,” (Chris) Davenport said. “We catch him in the mirror, practicing talking, and he never gives up. He is totally opposite from our other two kids. He loves to cook and told me that he’s allergic to exercise. He’s witty and brilliant.”

While (Trent) Davenport is able to comprehend his reality, the inability to communicate earlier in his life was quite frustrating. Fortunately, the Letter Board system, based on the rapid prompting method, has allowed Davenport to freely express himself while attending therapy four days a week to better accentuate his skills.

“He tells us everything — when he wants to eat, what he wants to do and how happy he is for siblings,” (Chris) Davenport said. “Trent lives a good life. It is what it is but we’re going to keep plugging along and maybe a miracle comes one day.”

Recently, (Teddy) Davenport was diagnosed with dyslexia, specifically being unable to absorb more than a few paragraphs at a time before suffering mental fatigue, but the “learning disability” has not exactly affected his ability to learn and gain knowledge — earning a place among various academic honor societies throughout his education.

“It makes me realize how thankful just being to function correctly,” he said. “I can talk, express how I feel and do what I love every single day. My brother, and kids in similar situations, would love to be out here and it makes me realize how blessed and thankful I am.”

Davenport has dressed in both home games this season, a first after not appearing in any games the last two years, and the redshirt sophomore understands as well as any what is the meaning behind the Children’s Harbor game and the responsibility of not taking for granted what others may not ever be able to experience.

“It’s really bigger than football and it makes me happy,” (Teddy) Davenport said. “A lot of players really enjoy this game and they talk about that extra motivation in playing for someone else beyond the team.”