Evening star., 1963-05-19
Never Had His Head Down.,
Saws Jim Brown Of Pal Davis

CLEVELAND, May 18 (AP). /
Ernie Davis, Americas great
est collegiate football player of
1861, to all who knew him, died
peacefully today in Lakeside
Hospital after a 13-month bat
tie against acute leukemia.
The 23-year-old former ALL
America halfback at Syracuse
was the only Negro ever to
win the Heisman Trophy, high
est honor accorded a college
grid star. He was a member Of
the Cleveland Browns but
never played a game profess
sionally.
He was stricken with the
deadly blood disease at the
College All-Star camp In Ev-
anston, ILL.,, last July. How
ever. doctors now have con-
cluded the 212 pound, 6-foot-2
Davis actually was afflicted in
April, 1862.
Withheld From Him
For more than three months
the news that Davis had leu
kemia was withheld from him
and the general public. Then
in october, doctors and
Browns officials told Davis
his illness was in a remissive
state, meaning the disease was
arrested temporarily. TIL t
lasted for more than six
months-or until 10 weeks ago.
Davis entered the hospital
Thursday. First he stopped by
the Browns office to talk to
Arthur B. Model, club presi-
dent.
HE was here for one hour"
Model said. HE told me he
had to go to the hospital, but
that it was nothing serious
and that he'd be out in a cou-
pie Of days. His neck was
swollen considerably and we
all knew what it meant. I
think Ernie did, too. He was
coming by to say goodbye to
me and the others.
IT asked him how he was
feeling" Model recalled. "All
he would say was, I've felt
better, but it's nothing to
worry about. My throat hurts
a little He was apologetic
about having to go into the
hospital"
| Jim Brown, Cleveland's great
fullback and the man who pre-
ceded Davis at Syracuse, was
J deeply touched by Ernie's
death.
This is a great personal
I loss," Brown said. He was a
tremendous individual. He re-
Y allied this was going to hap
pen eventually, but he was
. courageous in the face of ev-
erything. He never showed his
s feelings to any of the guys.
+ II never caught him with
I his head down. He Just carried
on normally as If nothing was
% wrong. Football was his life
and he wanted so badly II
T. play for the Browns"
J. Plans Foundation
! Model, who knew Davis fol
l8 months and went far be-
= yond the normal relationship
] of owner-player in his associa-
4 ton with Ernie, said he
9 planned to start an Ernie Da-
Q Wis Foundation for leukemis
q research.
" THE Browns will make a
I substantial contribution to get
the fund started" Model said
His mother has asked that
instead of flowers, contribu-
tions should go to University
Hospitals in Cleveland for the
hospitals leukemia research
projects"
In his hometown of Elmira,
! N. Y, Davis mother, Mrs. Ar
: thur Radford, said the death
was a terrible shock" She
said she was numbed by the
. loss of heI only son. His father
! is dead.
The body was being shipped
by airplane to Elmira, where
services will be held at the
i Monumental Baptist Church :
4 pm. Wednesday. Burial will bt
n in Woodlawn Cemetery. Tht
Browns will charter an air
plane for club officials anc
4 players who desire to attend
: the funeral.
DR.. Austin S. Weisberger, Da'
h Wis personal physician and q
n blood specialist, said: Ernie
, was a most impressive person
He was a real gentleman II