| Ernie Davis | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 14, 1939 |
| Place of birth |  New Salem, Pennsylvania |
| Date of death | May 18, 1963 (aged 23) |
| Place of death | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. New Salem-Buffington is a Census-designated place (CDP in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state 88 m) |
| Weight | 210 pounds (95. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass 3 kg) |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| College | Syracuse |
| NFL Draft | 1962 / Round 1/ Pick 1 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Awards | 1961 Heisman Trophy 1961 Liberty Bowl MVP 1960 Cotton Bowl MVP |
| Honors | College Football HOF |
| Retired #s | Cleveland Browns #45 |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Ernie Davis (December 14, 1939 - May 18, 1963) was an American Football player who became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time A running back ( RB) is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield. This is a List of Athletic Conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA Syracuse University (SU is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. The NFL Draft is an annual Sports draft in which NFL teams select newly-eligible players for their rosters Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Liberty Bowl is an annual US American College football Bowl game played in December of each year since 1959 The Cotton Bowl Classic is a United States College football Bowl game played annually since 1937 at the self-named stadium in Dallas Texas The College Football Hall of Fame, located in South Bend Indiana, USA is a hall of fame and museum devoted to College football. The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland Browns in December 1961. Syracuse University (SU is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington D The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, the running back would never play a professional game after developing leukemia in 1962. A running back ( RB) is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield. Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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Early life
Born and raised near Pittsburgh [1], Ernie was born into the poverty of the coal-belt. His father and mother separated shortly before his dad died in an accident. Raised in the nearby Pittsburgh industrial center of Uniontown by his grandparents, Davis moved to Elmira, New York at age 12 with his mom and new stepfather. Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 50 miles (80 km southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Elmira is a City in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira New York Metropolitan Statistical Area He played in Elmira's Small Fry Football League for the Superior Buicks and was named a Small Fry All-Star in both 1952 and 1953. He played basketball in grade school as well, also being chosen as an All-Star player. [2]
Throughout his high school years at Elmira Free Academy (renamed Ernie Davis Middle School in 1964), Davis' talents on the football field became clear. He was named Elmira Player of the Year and high school All-American in both his junior and senior years. An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for He also showed great athletic prowess in varsity basketball and baseball, all while excelling academically. At a time when many universities were not offering scholarships to black athletes, colleges from around the country watched Davis' high school career closely, and over 50 offered him scholarships (including Notre Dame and UCLA). The University of Notre Dame du Lac (or simply Notre Dame) (ˌnoʊtɚˈdeɪm is a private Roman Catholic Research university located in The University of California Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Westwood Los Angeles, California, United [1]
College career
Davis chose to play football for Syracuse University, and went on to gain national fame for three seasons (1959-1961), twice winning first-team All-American honors. Syracuse University (SU is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. As a sophomore in 1959, Davis led Syracuse to the NCAA Division I-A national football championship, capping an undefeated season with a 23-14 win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Cotton Bowl Classic is a United States College football Bowl game played annually since 1937 at the self-named stadium in Dallas Texas That same year, Elmira Star-Gazette sports writer Al Mallette coined the nickname for Davis, the "Elmira Express. Sports journalism is a form of Journalism that reports on Sports topics and events While the sports department within some Newspapers has been " Davis was voted Most Valuable Player of the 1960 Cotton Bowl and the 1961 Liberty Bowl. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Cotton Bowl Classic is a United States College football Bowl game played annually since 1937 at the self-named stadium in Dallas Texas Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Liberty Bowl is an annual US American College football Bowl game played in December of each year since 1959 In his junior year, he set a record of 7. 8 yards per carry and was the third leading rusher in the country with 877 yards, having rushed 100 yards in 6 of 9 games.
Davis found racism still prevalent in the Deep South during his Cotton Bowl visit. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that The Cotton Bowl Classic is a United States College football Bowl game played annually since 1937 at the self-named stadium in Dallas Texas At the banquet following the game, Davis was told he could only accept his award, and then would be required to leave the hotel. Davis refused and his teammates boycotted the banquet.
Ernie Davis became the first black athlete to be awarded the Heisman Trophy for the 1961 season during his senior year at Syracuse University. To date, Syracuse has had one national football championship and one Heisman trophy winner, and Ernie Davis was responsible for both. President John F. Kennedy had followed Davis' career and requested to meet him while he was in New York to receive the trophy. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of Later in 1963 when Elmira chose February 3 to celebrate Davis' achievements, Kennedy sent a telegram, reading:
- "Seldom has an athlete been more deserving of such a tribute. Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field, reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. It's a privilege for me to address you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a worthy example of our youth. I salute you. " [2]
Pro Football career
Davis was the number one pick in the 1962 NFL Draft, thus becoming the first African-American to be taken 1st overall. The 1962 National Football League Draft was held on December 4 1961 Selected by the Washington Redskins, who then traded his rights to the Cleveland Browns. The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington D The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. However, the organization's dream of pairing Davis with Jim Brown in the backfield took a tragic turn when Davis was diagnosed with leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All-Star Game. James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a Preseason American football game played annually (except in 1974 from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football Ernie died on May 18th 1963, at the age of 23.
Davis would never play a game as a professional, with his only appearance at Cleveland Stadium coming during a 1962 pre-season game, in which he ran onto the field as a spotlight followed him. Cleveland Stadium (also known as Lakefront Stadium and Cleveland Municipal Stadium) was a Baseball and American football stadium located in Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Following his death, the Browns retired his number 45 jersey in honor of Davis.
Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979. The College Football Hall of Fame, located in South Bend Indiana, USA is a hall of fame and museum devoted to College football. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) During his time at Syracuse, Davis wore the same number 44 as Syracuse University alumnus Jim Brown, helping to establish a tradition at the school that was acknowledged on November 12, 2005, when the school retired the number in an on-field ceremony. Syracuse University (SU is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made
| Preceded by Joe Bellino |
Heisman Trophy Winner 1961 |
Succeeded by Terry Baker |
Death
In the summer of 1962, Ernie Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia and began receiving medical treatment. Joseph Michael Bellino (born March 13, 1938 in Winchester, Massachusetts) is a former American football halfback in For the Canadian football player of the same name see Terry Baker (Canadian football. Acute monocytic leukemia ( AMoL, or AML-M5) is considered a type of Acute myeloid leukemia. The disease was incurable, and he died in Cleveland Lakeside Hospital the following year at age 23. Both the House and the Senate of the United States Congress eulogized him, and he was waked in The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Elmira is a City in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira New York Metropolitan Statistical Area Ernie Davis is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, Chemung County, New York. Chemung County is a County located in the US state of New York. His commemorative statue stands in front of Ernie Davis Middle School.
The Express
Production for a biopic on Ernie Davis' life called The Express, began in March 2007. For the British tabloid newspaper see Daily Express. The Express is an American Sports film directed Rob Brown (Finding Forrester) is playing Davis, and Dennis Quaid (The Rookie) is Davis' Syracuse coach, Ben Schwartzwalder. Rob Brown (born March 11 1984 is an American actor He is perhaps best known for his roles in the films Finding Forrester (2000 Coach Carter Finding Forrester is a 2000 movie, written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant, about a teenager Jamal Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American Actor. The Rookie is a 2002 drama, directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who had a brief Ben Schwartzwalder ( June 2, 1909 &mdash April 28, 1993) was a Hall of Fame football coach at Syracuse Forest Whitaker was originally signed on to the movie, but backed out after his Oscar win and was replaced by Charles S. Dutton. Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15 1961 is an American actor producer, and director. Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30 1951) is an Tony and Golden Globe Award - nominated Emmy Award -winning American actor Gary Fleder will direct. Gary Fleder (born December 19, 1962 in Norfolk Virginia) is an American Film director, Screenwriter, and producer The screenplay was written by Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond) based on the authoritative biography by Robert C. Charles Leavitt is an American Screenwriter best known for writing the 2006 film Blood Diamond. Blood Diamond is an Academy Award nominated 2006 adventure Drama film co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick and Gallagher, Ernie Davis, The Elmira Express: the Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner. [3] .
As of April 24, 2007 'The Express' is filming football scenes at Jorndt Field, Amundsen High School, Chicago IL. From April 27-May 5 Football scenes are being filmed at Northwestern's Ryan Field. Some scenes were also filmed in April and May 2007 in historic Pullman and in Hyde Park. History Historic Pullman was built in the 1880s by George Pullman for his eponymous Railroad car company the Pullman Palace Car Company. History (Hyde Park Paul Cornell a successful businessman real-estate speculator and Abolitionist, purchased of land between 51st and 55th Streets along the Lake On May 31, 2007 and June 1, 2007 scenes were filmed at three Blue Island schools. On June 4, 2007 a racial confrontation scene was filmed in Virgil, IL outside a store and bank designed to look like a Texas gas station.
References
External links
- Biography from ESPN Classic
- Commemorative Section from the Elmira Star-Gazette
- Biography from College Football Hall of Fame
- Ernie Davis Heisman Trophy Page [4]
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