Ernie Davis - wikipedia Ernie Davis For other people named Ernest Davis, see Ernest Davis ( disambiguation ). Ernie Davis No. 45 Position : Halfback Born : ( 1939 - 12 - 14 ) December 14, 1939 New Salem, Pennsylvania Died : May 18, 1963 ( 1963 - 05 - 18 ) ( aged 23 ) Cleveland, Ohio Height : 6 ft 2 in ( 1.88 m ) Weight : 212 lb ( 96 kg ) Career information High school : Elmira ( NY ) Free Academy College : Syracuse NFL Draft : 1962 / Round : 1 / Pick : 1 AFL draft : 1962 / Round : 1 / Pick : 4 Career history Cleveland Browns ( 1962 ) Career highlights and awards Cleveland Browns No. 45 retired National champion ( 1959 ) Heisman Trophy ( 1961 ) 2 × Consensus All - American ( 1960, 1961 ) Syracuse Orange No. 44 retired College Football Hall of Fame Ernest Davis ( December 14, 1939 -- May 18, 1963 ) was an American football player, a halfback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1961 and was its first African - American winner. Davis played college football for Syracuse University and was the first pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. Selected by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League ( NFL ) in December 1961, he was then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland Browns and issued number 45. Davis was diagnosed with leukemia in the summer of 1962, and died less than a year later at age 23, without ever playing in a professional game. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979, and was the subject of the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express, based on the non-fiction book Ernie Davis : The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher. Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional football career 4 Death 5 The Express 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links Early life Davis was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania. His father was killed in an accident shortly after his birth, and his mother, Avis Marie Davis Fleming, could not raise him alone. At fourteen months, he was cared for by his maternal grandparents, Willie and Elizabeth Davis, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. At age 12, he went to live with his mother and stepfather in Elmira, New York, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football in grade school. He attended Elmira Free Academy, where he earned two All - American honors. At the end of his senior season he was recruited by numerous colleges, and chose to attend Syracuse University after being persuaded by his childhood hero, Jim Brown, a Syracuse alumnus. College career Plaque on statue, Ernie Davis Academy, Elmira, New York Davis played football for coach Ben Schwartzwalder at Syracuse University from 1959 to 1961, and went on to national fame in each of those three seasons, twice winning first - team All - American honors. As a sophomore, Davis led the 1959 Syracuse team to a national championship, capping an 11 -- 0 season with a 23 -- 14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic, where Davis was named Most Valuable Player. That same season, Elmira Star - Gazette sports writer Al Mallette coined the nickname for Davis, the `` Elmira Express ''. In his junior year, 1960, he set a record of 7.8 yards per carry and was the third leading rusher in the country with 877 yards, having rushed for 100 yards in six of nine games. The 1960 Syracuse Orangemen finished with a record of 7 -- 2 and did not play in a post-season bowl game. In Ernie 's senior year, the 1961 Orangemen finished with a record of 8 -- 3, closing the season with a 15 -- 14 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the Liberty Bowl, played at Philadelphia 's Franklin Field. College football used limited substitution rules at the time and players played both offense and defense. Davis found discrimination prevalent in the American South during his Cotton Bowl visit to host city Dallas, Texas. Author Jocelyn Selim writes that at the banquet following the 1960 game, Davis was told he could only accept his award and then would be required to leave the segregated facility. Davis and his black teammates were allowed to finish their meals at the banquet. When dessert was brought, a gentleman quietly approached them and told them they would have to leave when the doors were opened to the public for a dance. The three got up to leave and when the teammates found out, they wanted to leave too, but were told that it would only cause a bigger problem, so they stayed. A different account of the banquet is given by John Brown. He was Davis ' teammate at Syracuse and on the Cleveland Browns, his roommate and a close friend. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, all the players from the game attended the banquet. Brown recalls that the teams sat on opposite sides of the room. After everyone ate and the trophies were handed out, the three black Syracuse players, including Brown and Davis were asked to leave and were taken to another party in Dallas by local NAACP representatives. One Syracuse player, Gerhard Schwedes, recommended that the whole Syracuse team leave the banquet to show solidarity with their black teammates, but the suggestion was overruled by Syracuse officials. When the Chronicle asked Brown whether the film is a truthful portrayal of his friend, Brown said ``... in short, no. '' Statue of Ernie Davis, located in Syracuse University Quad Davis became the first black athlete to be awarded the Heisman Trophy ( the highest individual honor in collegiate football ) and he also won the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy following his 1961 senior - year season at Syracuse University. President John F. Kennedy had followed Davis ' career and requested to meet him while he was in New York to receive the trophy. 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. During his time at Syracuse, Davis wore the same number, 44, as had legendary Orangeman 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. After winning the Heisman Trophy, Ernie Davis talked Floyd Little into doing an about face and play football for Syracuse instead of Notre Dame. Davis also played basketball at Syracuse for one season 1960 - 1961. Syracuse University, as a way to honor all of the athletes that have worn the number 44, was granted permission by the United States Postal Service to change its zip code to 13244. While attending Syracuse, Davis was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, a nationally recognized Jewish fraternity. Davis was the first African - American to become part of the organization not only at the Syracuse chapter, but for the national fraternity as a whole. Davis was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Davis was a member of The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All - American Football Players Honor. Professional football career Davis was the number - one pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. Selected by the Washington Redskins, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. He was also drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League. Redskins founder and owner George Preston Marshall was an avowed racist who kept the Redskins entirely white long after the other teams had integrated. He openly admitted that his unwillingness to sign a black player was an effort to appeal to his mostly Southern fan base ( they had long been the southernmost team in the league ). The signing only came when Interior Secretary Stewart Udall issued an ultimatum to Marshall : sign a black player by the start of the 1962 season, or he would revoke the Redskins ' 30 - year lease on D.C. Stadium ( now Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium ). The stadium was a city - owned facility, and the Washington city government has long been legally reckoned as a branch of the federal government ( given that the Constitution gives Congress ultimate authority over the capital ). Marshall could not bring himself to draft a black player, so he left the decision to general manager and head coach Bill McPeak, who picked Davis. Davis refused to play for the Redskins and demanded a trade. A deal with Cleveland was engineered by Browns coach Paul Brown without the knowledge and consent of the owner Art Modell. This had been standard operating procedure with the Browns from their inception in 1946 ; Brown served as his own general manager, and had enjoyed a free hand in football matters. The Redskins traded the rights to Davis to the Cleveland Browns for Bobby Mitchell and first - round draft pick Leroy Jackson. Davis chose to go to the Cleveland Browns where his classmate John Brown would be his roommate and Jim Brown, whom he admired, was already playing. Davis signed a three - year, $ 200,000 contract with the Browns in late December 1961 in San Francisco while preparing for the East - West Shrine Game. Originally reported at $80,000, the contract, according to Davis 's attorney, Tony DeFilippo, consisted of $80,000 for playing football, including a $15,000 signing bonus ; $60,000 for ancillary rights, such as image marketing ; and $60,000 for off - season employment. It was the most lucrative contract for an NFL rookie up to that time. The Browns ' dream of pairing Davis with Jim Brown took a tragic turn when Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. The rift between Coach Brown and Modell worsened when Modell brought in doctors who said Davis was well enough to play and Brown still refused to allow it. Although Davis 's leukemia was in remission at the time, Brown felt letting him play would hurt team morale. This contributed to Modell 's decision to replace Brown before the 1963 season. Davis was allowed to practice on the field without physical contact and helped Brown draw up game plans but he never played a meaningful down. His only appearance at Cleveland Stadium came at a pre-season game on August 18, in which he ran onto the field as a spotlight followed him. Following his death, the Browns retired his number 45 jersey. Death Davis ' gravestone, Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY Statue at Ernie Davis Middle School ( now at Ernie Davis Academy ), Elmira, NY While preparing to play in the College All - Star Game against the Green Bay Packers in Chicago in the summer of 1962, Davis awoke with a swollen neck and was hospitalized, with mumps or mononucleosis initially suspected. He was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia and began receiving medical treatment. Davis went to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore when he was dying, three months after being diagnosed and through chemical treatments experienced a four to five month remission. That was the time that the controversy between Paul Brown and Art Modell took place. The disease was incurable and Davis died at age 23 at Cleveland Lakeside Hospital on May 18, 1963. Both houses of the United States Congress eulogized Davis, and a wake was held at The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. During the funeral, a message was received from President Kennedy, and was read aloud to all of the people attending the service. Davis is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira. His commemorative statue now stands in front of the school named in his honor, Ernie Davis Academy. Another statue of Davis stands on the campus of Syracuse University, near the steps of Hendricks Chapel and the Quad where pre-game pep rallies are held. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in the fall of 1979, coinciding with the premiere of The Express and the beginning of construction of Ernie Davis Hall, a Syracuse dormitory. The Express A motion picture biography, The Express, directed by Gary Fleder and based on the non-fiction book The Elmira Express : the Story of Ernie Davis by Robert C. Gallagher, began production in April 2007 and was released on October 10, 2008. Rob Brown plays Davis, with Dennis Quaid portraying Davis ' Syracuse University coach, Ben Schwartzwalder. In 2011, rival schools Southside High School ( Elmira, New York ) and Elmira Free Academy combined their athletic teams, which together were renamed the Elmira Express, named after Ernie Davis. References ^ Jump up to : Carter, Bob ( 1999 ). `` Davis won Heisman, respect ''. ESPN Classic. Retrieved January 12, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Browns ' Davis succumbs in battle with leukemia ''. Toledo Blade. ( Ohio ). Associated Press. May 19, 1963. p. 1, sec. 3. ^ Jump up to : `` Ernie Davis loses battle with leukemia ''. Eugene Register - Guard. ( Oregon ). Associated Press. May 18, 1963. p. 1B. ^ Jump up to : `` Blood disorder expected to keep Davis on sidelines ''. Eugene Register - Guard. ( Oregon ). Associated Press. August 2, 1962. p. 1D. Jump up ^ `` Illness may delay Davis ' NFL debut ''. Chicago Tribune. August 2, 1962. p. 3, part 6. Jump up ^ ' syracuse.com ' Mother of Ernie Davis, Marie Fleming, has passed away in Elmira ; her funeral is Saturday, May 8, 2008 Archived April 16, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : Gallagher, Robert C. Ernie Davis : The Elmira Express, the Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner ( Bartleby Press, 1999 ) Jump up ^ Barron, David, `` Film The Express stretches the truth '', Houston Chronicle, October 9, 2008 Jump up ^ Gallagher, Robert C. The Express : The Ernie Davis Story. New York, NY : Random House LLC. pp. 117 -- 118. ISBN 978 - 0 - 345 - 51086 - 0. Retrieved December 15, 2013. Jump up ^ `` News - Around the NFL ''. NFL.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Centennial Spotlight '', Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation website Archived 2009 - 08 - 20 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` NFL.com Draft 2018 - NFL Draft History : Full Draft Year ''. NFL.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018. Jump up ^ Rockin ' the Rockpile : The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p. 564, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978 - 1 - 55022 - 797 - 0 Jump up ^ `` A ' Showdown ' That Changed Football 's Racial History ''. Retrieved 27 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` WashingtonPost.com : The Redskins Book : Page 17 ''. www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018. Jump up ^ Michael Richman. The Redskins Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. Retrieved 2015 - 05 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Davis signs with 16 cents in pocket ''. Eugene Register - Guard. ( Oregon ). Associated Press. December 29, 1961. p. 3B. ^ Jump up to : Davis / ernie14. html Neuman, Roger, `` Pro contract was rookie record '', Elmira Star - Gazette, December 8, 2001 Jump up ^ King, Steve, `` A tragic off season '', Official Website of the Cleveland Browns, December 19, 2006 Archived January 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Illness hits Ernie Davis of All - Stars ''. Chicago Tribune. July 31, 1962. p. 1, part 3. Jump up ^ `` The Express ' to Film Scenes on Campus Next Week ; Extras Needed '', SUAthletics.com Archived 2008 - 01 - 07 at the Wayback Machine. Further reading A Halo For A Helmet : The Whole Story Of Ernie Davis by K. Coralee Burch The Express : The Ernie Davis Story by Robert C. Gallagher, 2008 ( ISBN 978 - 0 - 345 - 51086 - 0 ) Top 10 Heisman Trophy Winners by Jeff Savage, Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1999 ( ISBN 0 - 7660 - 1072 - 4 ) Ernie Davis : A Historical Perspective by Bob Hill, 1997 Always Ernie by Laura Milazzo, 2003 External links Ernie Davis at the College Football Hall of Fame Ernie Davis at the Heisman Trophy official website Ernie Davis at Find a Grave Ernie Davis -- championships, awards, and honors 1959 Syracuse Orangemen football -- consensus national champions Art Baker Al Bemiller John Brown Ernie Davis Roger Davis Dick Easterly Ron Luciano Fred Mautino Gerhard Schwedes Bob Yates Maury Youmans Head coach : Ben Schwartzwalder Heisman Trophy winners 1935 : Berwanger 1936 : Kelley 1937 : Frank 1938 : O'Brien 1939 : Kinnick 1940 : Harmon 1941 : B. Smith 1942 : Sinkwich 1943 : Bertelli 1944 : Horvath 1945 : Blanchard 1946 : G. Davis 1947 : Lujack 1948 : D. Walker 1949 : Hart 1950 : Janowicz 1951 : Kazmaier 1952 : Vessels 1953 : Lattner 1954 : Ameche 1955 : Cassady 1956 : Hornung 1957 : Crow 1958 : Dawkins 1959 : Cannon 1960 : Bellino 1961 : E. Davis 1962 : Baker 1963 : Staubach 1964 : Huarte 1965 : Garrett 1966 : Spurrier 1967 : Beban 1968 : Simpson 1969 : Owens 1970 : Plunkett 1971 : Sullivan 1972 : Rodgers 1973 : Cappelletti 1974 : Griffin 1975 : Griffin 1976 : Dorsett 1977 : Campbell 1978 : Sims 1979 : C. White 1980 : Rogers 1981 : Allen 1982 : H. Walker 1983 : Rozier 1984 : Flutie 1985 : B. Jackson 1986 : Testaverde 1987 : Brown 1988 : Sanders 1989 : Ware 1990 : Detmer 1991 : Howard 1992 : Torretta 1993 : Ward 1994 : Salaam 1995 : George 1996 : Wuerffel 1997 : Woodson 1998 : Williams 1999 : Dayne 2000 : Weinke 2001 : Crouch 2002 : Palmer 2003 : J. White 2004 : Leinart 2005 : vacated * 2006 : T. Smith 2007 : Tebow 2008 : Bradford 2009 : Ingram Jr. 2010 : Newton 2011 : Griffin III 2012 : Manziel 2013 : Winston 2014 : Mariota 2015 : Henry 2016 : L. Jackson 2017 : Mayfield * Note : The 2005 Heisman Trophy was originally awarded to Reggie Bush, but Bush forfeited the award in 2010. The Heisman Trust subsequently decided to leave the 2005 award vacated. 1960 College Football All - America Team consensus selections Backfield QB Jake Gibbs HB Joe Bellino HB Ernie Davis FB Bob Ferguson Line E Mike Ditka E Dan LaRose T Bob Lilly T Ken Rice G Tom Brown G Joe Romig C E.J. Holub 1961 College Football All - America Team consensus selections Backfield QB Sandy Stephens HB Ernie Davis HB Jimmy Saxton FB Bob Ferguson Line E Gary Collins E Bill Miller T Billy Neighbors T Merlin Olsen G Joe Romig G Roy Winston C Alex Kroll 1962 NFL draft first - round selections Ernie Davis Roman Gabriel Merlin Olsen Gary Collins Bob Ferguson Fate Echols Ronnie Bull Lance Alworth Wendell Harris John Hadl Leroy Jackson Irv Goode Jerry Hillebrand Earl Gros National Football League Draft number one overall picks Berwanger Francis C. Davis Aldrich Cafego Harmon Dudley Sinkwich Bertelli Trippi Dancewicz Fenimore Gilmer Bednarik Hart Rote Wade Babcock B. Garrett Shaw Glick Hornung Hill Duncan Cannon Mason E. Davis Baker Parks Frederickson Nobis Bu. Smith Yary Simpson Bradshaw Plunkett Patulski Matuszak Jones Bartkowski Selmon Bell Campbell Cousineau B. Sims Rogers K. Sims Elway Fryar Br. Smith Jackson Testaverde Bruce Aikman George Maryland Emtman Bledsoe Wilkinson Carter Johnson Pace P. Manning Couch Brown Vick Carr Palmer E. Manning A. Smith Williams Russell Long Stafford Bradford Newton Luck Fisher Clowney Winston Goff M. Garrett Mayfield Washington Redskins 1962 NFL Draft selections Ernie Davis Joe Hernandez Bob Mitinger Billy Neighbors Bert Coan Ron Hatcher Dave Viti John Childress Carl Palazzo Terry Terrebonne Bill Whisler Jim Costen Len Velia Tommy Brooker Allen Miller Carl Charon Claude Crabb Ed Trancygier Draft years 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1950 AAFC 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1991 1995 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Boston / Washington Redskins first - round draft picks R. Smith Baugh Farkas Hale Boell Evashevski Sanders Jenkins Micka Hardy Rossi Gilmer Tew Goode G. Thomas Heath Isbell Scarbath Meilinger Guglielmi Vereb Bosseler Allard Lucas Snead Rutgens E. Davis Richter C. Taylor Gogolak R. McDonald J. Smith Monk May D. Green B. Wilson D. Howard T. Carter Shuler Westbrook A. Johnson Lang Bailey Arrington Samuels Gardner Ramsey S. Taylor C. Rogers Campbell Landry Orakpo Williams Kerrigan Griffin III Scherff Doctson Allen Payne Cleveland Browns retired numbers 14 Otto Graham 32 Jim Brown 45 Ernie Davis 46 Don Fleming 76 Lou Groza LCCN : n82251678 SNAC : w6mh0t9j VIAF : 55513033 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernie_Davis&oldid=847224168 '' Categories : 1939 births 1963 deaths American football halfbacks Cleveland Browns players Syracuse Orange football players Syracuse Orange men 's basketball players All - American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Heisman Trophy winners National Football League first overall draft picks Sportspeople from Elmira, New York People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania Players of American football from New York ( state ) African - American players of American football Deaths from leukemia Deaths from cancer in Ohio Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery ( Elmira, New York ) Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links NFL player missing current team parameter Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Suomi 中文 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 23 June 2018, at 19 : 49 ( UTC ). 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Question: who was the first black football player to win the heisman trophy
Answer: Ernest Davis