Lamar baseball coach Luke Walker, left, catches up with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Austin Davis before Thursday’s banquet. The two played together when they were students at West Lauderdale, and both graduated from the school in 2007.

Knowing his players would face adversity throughout a typical baseball season, Lamar baseball coach Luke Walker decided to bring in a friend of his to speak to his players.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Austin Davis, who played with Luke when they attended West Lauderdale, was on hand Thursday at Lamar’s annual preseason baseball banquet. Davis was the keynote speaker, and the former Southern Miss quarterback was more than happy to provide the Raiders with several pointers before the start of their season.

“The main thing is just how to accept failure, never quitting and learning how to work through challenges,” Davis said of his message. “That’s kind of my story. It’s what I’ve been through and what I attribute most of my success to. Hopefully, I can help someone here with those words.”

Davis, who made his biggest splash in the NFL in 2014 after starting several games for the then-St. Louis Rams, spent his most recent season backing up Russell Wilson in Seattle. Knowing he was going to be in Meridian Thursday, Davis said he jumped at the chance to help out Walker, who graduated with him at West Lauderdale in 2007.

“We grew up together, and we both played at West Lauderdale,” Davis said. “We’ve been friends our entire lives, and since I’m in town, it was easy. I love to help out any way I can.”

And Walker said he was grateful for the gesture.

“It’s really huge, just to have someone who’s worked so hard for where he’s at,” Walker said. “It’s really good for our program to see someone like that who works so hard to get where he’s gotten.”

After going 20-12 last season, Walker said expectations are high this year, and he hopes Thursday’s banquet will help get things moving in the right direction.

“We have a lot of familiar faces but a lot of new guys, and the new guys who came in really fit the puzzle and honestly complete the puzzle,” Walker said. “We’re going to be really strong in all aspects. It’s big to have the guys and their parents around each other and fellowshipping before the season.”

For Davis, it’s the early part of the offseason after a year that didn’t quite live up to his team’s usual expectations.

“It was not a good year by Seahawks standards, and I still haven’t made the playoffs in six years (in the NFL), so I’m still searching for that, but any year in the NFL is a good year,” Davis said. “I have a ton of fun, and I really enjoyed playing for Pete Carroll. That was probably the highlight of the year for me, just to be under him and see how he does things.”

Davis described Carroll as a high-energy coach who garners respects from his players due to how competitive he is.

“That’s probably the thing I appreciate about him the most,” Davis said. “I feel like he’s competing like we are.”

Playing for the Seahawks also meant working alongside Russell Wilson, with whom Davis enjoys playing.

“He’s super-talented,” Davis said. “I enjoyed getting to know him on a personal level. He came out the same year I did, so I knew of him. He’s just such a professional. He’s arguably one of the best (quarterbacks) in the league right now, so being under someone like him is really cool.”

Lamar opens its baseball season Feb. 9 in the school’s preseason jamboree, which begins at 4 p.m. that Friday.