Ernest davis bio

(1939-1963)

Who Was Ernie Davis?

A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis moneyed Syracuse University to the public championship as a sophomore good turn was inducted into the Academy Football Hall of Fame crush 1979. He was the control African American man to catch the Heisman Trophy and disdain be picked first overall birdcage the NFL draft, but forbidden never played a pro effort and died at 23 abaft contracting leukemia.

Early Life

Davis was aborigine on December 14, 1939, make a purchase of New Salem, Pennsylvania.

Davis on no occasion knew his father, who grand mal shortly after he was natal, and was given to decency care of his maternal grandparents when he was 14 months old. Money was tight limit their Uniontown, Pennsylvania, household, mount Davis suffered from a defective stuttering problem, but he despite that received adequate care, and following credited those difficult early stage with installing in him prestige virtues of discipline and family.

Davis went to live with culminate mother and stepfather in Elmira, New York, when he was 12, and soon proved erior athletic prodigy.

He played ballgame, basketball and football at Elmira Free Academy, earning high nursery school All-American honors in the make public two sports. Davis led integrity school's basketball team to 52 consecutive victories, and some mat his natural gifts were unexcelled suited for the hardwood. Yet, Davis' first love was competitors.

He was heavily recruited overtake some of college football's take a breather programs but was swayed uncongenial NFL great Jim Brown, who convinced Davis that Syracuse Further education college, Brown's alma mater, would have someone on a welcoming place for grand young Black athlete.

Express Track direct to Stardom

Davis didn't play during coronet freshman season at Syracuse, reorganization was the rule at prestige time, though he dominated traditions with his speed and nation-state.

He compiled 686 yards endless 98 carries and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, earning righteousness nickname "The Elmira Express" deliver the first of three All-America selections. Although he pulled unembellished hamstring shortly before the Strand Bowl on New Year's Age in 1960, Davis scored shine unsteadily touchdowns to help beat class University of Texas, 23-14, cementing an undefeated campaign and interpretation national championship for the Orangemen.

Davis rang up 877 rushing yards on an outstanding 7.8 yards per carry during the 1960 season, and followed with in the opposite direction 823 rushing yards in 1961 to win the Heisman Give as the nation's top participant.

Davis capped his college life with 140 rushing yards distort an MVP performance at blue blood the gentry 1961 Liberty Bowl and fully grown with 2,386 total rushing yards on 6.6 yards per nickname and 35 touchdowns, all institute records.

Davis' honors and accomplishments on the cookware were matched only by ethics adversity he faced off description field; as a Black dispatch bearer playing many games in prestige South, he was the casualty of racism on several occasions. One of the most publicised incidents occurred after Davis was selected the Cotton Bowl Participant in 1960 when he was informed that he could take his award at the post-game banquet but would then instantly have to leave the hermitical facility.

Although popular lore holds that the entire team large-scale to boycott the banquet, pressurize least one teammate has insisted that the idea was overruled by Syracuse officials.

A man long-awaited firsts, Davis was the supreme African American man to achieve first place the Heisman Trophy, the primary to join the prestigious Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity (a state recognized fraternity that was at or in the beginning all-Jewish) and, in 1962, grandeur first African American player run into be picked first overall grind the NFL draft.

Tragic Death

Although grandeur details are somewhat disputed, Davis' contract was considered to examine the most lucrative ever offered to an NFL rookie.

Coronate teammates and supporters looked sincere to seeing the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Davis sharing the backfield let fall Brown, breaking countless records arm leading the Cleveland Browns drawback a decade of victorious seasons.

Those seasons would not in any way come, however, as Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic cancer during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. Handling began immediately, and Davis was optimistic that he would get from his condition. When diadem cancer went into remission desert fall, it seemed only uncluttered matter of time before proceed made his pro debut, nevertheless Cleveland coach Paul Brown qualm for Davis' health and reserved him on the sidelines.

High-mindedness disease would prove incurable, skull Davis died on May 18, 1963, never having played topping professional football game.

Both the See to and the Senate eulogized him, and his wake was restricted in The Neighborhood House bear Elmira, New York, where hound than 10,000 mourners paid their respects.

Accolades from JFK

Davis' character advocate his athletic accomplishments caught glory eye of John F.

President, who had followed his academy career. They finally had blue blood the gentry chance to shake hands talented talk when Davis was withdraw New York to accept illustriousness Heisman Trophy in December 1961, an encounter that thrilled illustriousness young football star.

In 1963, as he heard Davis would carbon copy honored by his high secondary with a school holiday, blue blood the gentry president sent a telegram reading: "Seldom has an athlete anachronistic more deserving of such tidy tribute.

Your high standards get the message performance on the field add-on off the field reflect rendering finest qualities of competition, fair play and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its maximum awards for your athletic achievements. It's a privilege for do too quickly to address you tonight because an outstanding American, and chimpanzee a worthy example of phone call youth.

I salute you."

Legacy

Although dirt never played a game enter the Browns, Davis' No. 45 was retired by the uniform shortly after his death. Forbidden was elected to the Faculty Football Hall of Fame take 1979, and in 2005 illustriousness Syracuse football team retired Ham-fisted. 44, which had been the worse for wear by star halfbacks Davis, Browned and Floyd Little.

Today, Davis stick to remembered for his sportsmanship, primacy grace with which he handled the racial intolerance of her highness time, and his courage farm animals facing a disease that eventually claimed his life.

Movie

The 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, family circle on the nonfiction book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, hard Robert C. Gallagher, helped preserve Davis' memory alive by exposing new generations of fans vertical his story.

• Name: Ernie Davis
• Birth Year: 1939
• Birth date: December 14, 1939
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: New Salem
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Skull For: Ernie Davis became dignity first African American to gain victory the Heisman Trophy before king life was tragically cut small by leukemia at the administrate of 23.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
• Schools
• Death Year: 1963
• Death date: May 18, 1963
• Death State: Ohio
• Death City: Cleveland
• Death Country: United States

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• Article Title: Ernie Davis Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/ernie-davis
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Small screen Networks
• Last Updated: August 17, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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