Davis rang up 877 rushing yards on an outstanding 7.8 yards per carry during the 1960 season, and followed with another 823 rushing yards in 1961 to win the Heisman Trophy as the nation's top player. Davis' character and his athletic accomplishments caught the eye of John F. Kennedy, who had followed his college career. Little was a three-time All-American at Syracuse, where he wore No. Treatment began immediately, and Davis was optimistic that he would recover from his condition. Ernie Davis, the movie, has some detractors. "When we wanted to be ourselves, we'd go for a drive; Ernie had this car, an Edsel, and it was a lemon, a total lemon, I don't know where he got it. John Brown remembers how he and Ernie attended Bethany Baptist Church, not far from SU. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "He was focused, he was serious, there was nothing about him that could tolerate failure. That doesn't really bother her. Floyd Little was played by Chadwick boseman. She was a quiet kid, one of a handful of black freshmen in 1959 at Syracuse University. A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis led Syracuse University to the national championship as a sophomore and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979. His wife … The Browns had traded their running back Bobby Mitchell to the Washington Redskins for the rights to Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ernie Davis, but Davis was ill and unable to play. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shortly after the Washington Redskins selected Ernie Davis with the No. Brown, after his NFL career, became a banking executive. In response, the tiny group of blacks at SU formed a close, protective circle. Thank you for your support during those early and challenging years as a Denver Bronco. He went to the club, bought a drink for Sylvia and handed the bartender the five. Davis capped his college career with 140 rushing yards in an MVP performance at the 1961 Liberty Bowl and finished with 2,386 total rushing yards on 6.6 yards per carry and 35 touchdowns, all school records. He was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy and to be picked first overall in the NFL draft, but he never played a pro game and died at 23 after contracting leukemia. John Brown, an SU lineman who was Ernie's close friend, said university dormitories and classrooms were integrated, and athletes would sometimes go together to a bar called the Clover Club. Ten months later, on May 18, 1963, Ernie Davis died of leukemia at 23 as football fans across the nation mourned. She has a feeling that's when Ernie noticed her again. Ernie Davis Biography The Young Athlete, College Career, NFL Career Cut Short, Died at Age (23) 1939-1963. Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy before his life was tragically cut short by leukemia at the age of 23. Later that year, Helen would be named "weekend queen" of the freshman class, an honor celebrated at a football game. The couple got married in 1997 when Jim was 60 years old while Monique at her early 20s. Ernie Davis, the man, won admirers everywhere. Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and by 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. We would hang out as a group at the Tippin' Inn; some people were just really great dancers, and we'd play the music and dance a lot and everybody had a great time. From 1964-66, he ran for 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns. Although he pulled a hamstring shortly before the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day in 1960, Davis scored two touchdowns to help beat the University of Texas, 23-14, cementing an undefeated campaign and the national championship for the Orangemen. They are blessed with two children, Aris and Morgan. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). Thank you for your support. Ernie was born on December 14th, 1939 as Ernest R. Davis in New Salem, Pennsylvania. Ernie threw him the keys to the Edsel, handed him $5 and told him to take Sylvia to a club where another Orange player would be tending bar. 45 was retired by the team shortly after his death. Helen has heard she does not exist in the film, that Ernie's cinematic girlfriend is a fictional composite. Floyd Little, who followed Jim Brown and Ernie Davis in an extraordinary line of all-American running backs at Syracuse University, each wearing No. As for Ernie, he roomed with John Mackey, now suffering from an illness similar to Alzheimer's disease. Sammy Davis Jr. was a highly popular actor, comedian, singer and dancer. Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy before his life was tragically cut short by leukemia at the age of 23. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! He was also part of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, with whom he starred in several films. Ernie Davis, byname of Ernest R. Davis, also called the Elmira Express, (born Dec. 14, 1939, New Salem, Pa., U.S.—died May 18, 1963, Cleveland, Ohio), American collegiate gridiron football player who was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.. As a student at Elmira (N.Y.) Free Academy, Davis was a high-school All-American in football and basketball. To my beautiful wife DeBorah, my friend, my partner and everything a husband can want. 5 years later Chadwick boseman played Jackie Robinson in "42". Father Ernie Davis A MESSAGE FROM YOUR HOST Father Ernie Davis from Kansas City, MO CAIRO & THE ROUTE OF THE EXODUS - $848* January 20‐25, 2018 Jan. 20 Follow the Ancient Caravan Route to Mount Sinai. College Football Player. The events had such joyous energy that many white students showed up at the door. Although the details are somewhat disputed, Davis' contract was considered to be the most lucrative ever offered to an NFL rookie. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. With good reason. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. One of the most publicized incidents occurred after Davis was selected the Cotton Bowl MVP in 1960 when he was informed that he could accept his award at the post-game banquet but would then immediately have to leave the segregated facility. Ernie Davis' only real NFL footnote was that, as part of a trade between Washington and Cleveland in 1962, he became the first black player drafted first overall. He was heavily recruited by some of college football's top programs but was swayed by NFL great Jim Brown, who convinced Davis that Syracuse University, Brown's alma mater, would be a welcoming place for a young Black athlete. The main attraction was often Felix Cavaliere, an SU student who later helped to found the rock group "The Rascals." The story goes that John lacked the nerve to ask Sylvia out, claiming he was broke and had no car. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. When his cancer went into remission that fall, it seemed only a matter of time before he made his pro debut, but Cleveland coach Paul Brown feared for Davis' health and kept him on the sidelines. 44 like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis before him. "I want people to know you can excel in your profession, entertainment or sports, and you can also be … Ernie passed away a couple of months later, and that was a big thing for Floyd. He blamed it on a home invasion. Ernie Davis was the kind of man a boy should want to be. You stand shoulder to shoulder with me. That exclusion, if anything, only enflamed a sense of mission. The 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, based on the nonfiction book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher, helped keep Davis' memory alive by exposing new generations of fans to his story. Davis never knew his father, who died shortly after he was born, and was given to the care of his maternal grandparents when he was 14 months old. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. As for Helen, an editor in Kansas City, she is sure Ernie would have achieved great things once he was done with football. Cowsert, a regular working guy in Syracuse who took generations of black players under his wing, routinely treating them to ample meals of "soul food" at his mother's house. 44 like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis before him. "Syracuse is really beautiful in the fall and in the spring," she said. Davis didn't play during his freshman season at Syracuse, as was the rule at the time, though he dominated practices with his speed and power. They finally had the chance to shake hands and talk when Davis was in New York to accept the Heisman Trophy in December 1961, an encounter that thrilled the young football star. Just beyond campus, the black community was confined to homes in the 15th Ward. "He was a sophomore, a year ahead of me, although we didn't actually start dating until his junior year, " said Helen, the religion editor at the Kansas City Star. Ernest R. Davis, commonly known as Ernie, was one of the best running backs ever to play college football. He played baseball, basketball and football at Elmira Free Academy, earning high school All-American honors in the latter two sports. He still has the tavern, now on South Avenue; it opens on weekends. "I would have loved him if he never touched a football, " Helen said, which in the end was the real greatness of Ernie Davis. That's a really rare quality with men, but he was a rare individual.". Accurate. View Ernie Davis’ profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. A trailblazing player in the Negro Leagues, baseball pitcher Satchel Paige also became the oldest rookie in Major League history and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. His father passed away in an auto accident before his birth and his mother, Avis Marie Davis Fleming sent him to live with his maternal grandparents as she was in search of a job. "Ernie was a wonderful person; he could be gentle and kind, and still manly. A man of firsts, Davis was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, the first to join the prestigious Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity (a nationally recognized fraternity that was initially all-Jewish) and, in 1962, the first African American player to be picked first overall in the NFL draft. To honor Ernie Davis, the Browns retired jersey number 45, the number he would have worn, in his honor. Although he never played a game with the Browns, Davis' No. Professional football player Joe Montana led the 49ers to victories in four Super Bowls, including consecutive wins in 1989 and 1990. "He was just driven to excel, " she said. But outside the football team, most students lived lives of black and white. Both the House and the Senate eulogized him, and his wake was held in The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. Joyce, you did a great job as a mother. Jan. 21 Visit the Monastery of St. Catherine before continuing to Sharm el Sheik for dinner and overnight. From 1964-66, he ran for 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns. Essential. Immediate. Helen Gott hung back from the dance floor. Davis, Ernie, photograph. Subscribe today for news you need now. Davis rushed for 2,386 yards and … They eventually became a couple, a time still precious to Helen, almost 50 years later. Those seasons would never come, however, as Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. In addition, Character Blocks were placed around the plaza designed to reflect the core values of Ernie Davis. When he'd say everything would be OK, even when he was sick, that's why I believed it.". On weekend nights, Sylvia said, roughly 70 or 80 black students would rent a room at a Syracuse restaurant and throw dances. https://www.biography.com/athlete/ernie-davis. In 1963, when he heard Davis would be honored by his high school with a school holiday, the president sent a telegram reading: "Seldom has an athlete been more deserving of such a tribute. As head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Joe Paterno was one of the most successful coaches in the history of collegiate football. Jim Brown: Wife, Dating, Family & Friends Jim Brown is currently married with his second wife, Monique Brown. Ernie has 13 jobs listed on their profile.