Ernie Davis Ernest " Ernie " Davis ( December 14 , 1939 – May 18 , 1963 ) was an American football running back and the first African - American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy . 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 , when he was issued number 45 . However , he would never play a professional game , as he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1962 . He is the subject of the 2008 Universal Pictures movie biography " The Express " , based on the non - fiction book " Ernie Davis : The Elmira Express " , by Robert C . Gallagher . Early life . Davis was born on December 14 , 1939 in New Salem , PA . From 14 months of age , Ernie was cared for by his maternal grandparents , Willie and Elizabeth Davis , in Uniontown , Pennsylvania . His father was killed in an accident shortly after Ernie ’ s birth , and his mother , Avis Marie Davis Fleming , could not raise him alone . At the age of 12 , he went to live with his mother and stepfather in Elmira , New York . In Elmira , Davis excelled in baseball , football and basketball 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 . Davis played football for Syracuse University between 1958 and 1961 , and went on to national fame for three seasons ( 1959 – 1961 ) , twice winning first - team All - America n honors . As a sophomore in 1959 , Davis led Syracuse to the NCAA Division I - A national football champions hip , capping an undefeated season with a 23 - 14 win over the University of Texas 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 6 of 9 games . The 1960 Syracuse Orangemen finished with a record of seven wins and two losses and did not play in a post - season bowl game . In 1961 , Ernie ' s senior year , the Orangemen finished with a record of 8 wins and 3 losses , closing with a 15 - 14 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the Liberty Bowl , played at Philadelphia ' s Franklin Field . It is important to note that college football was using 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 Classic 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 , Ger 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 . " 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 : During his time at Syracuse , Davis wore the same number , 44 , as 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 . 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 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 . Pro 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 . The decision of the Redskins to draft Davis was a reluctant one by Redskins ' owner George Preston Marshall . Marshall for years had refused to sign any black players , and the Redskins were the last NFL team to do so . He was a notorious racist , and backed his decision by stating that he wanted to appeal to the NFL ' s southern market . The signing only came when Interior Secretary Stewart Udall issued an ultimatum to Marshall : sign a black player , or the Redskins ' 30 - year lease on the D . C . Stadium ( now the Robert F . Kennedy Memorial Stadium ) would be revoked . The stadium was property of the Washington city government . Marshall ' s response was to draft Davis . Davis refused to play for the Redskins , and demanded a trade . In turn a trade to Cleveland was engineered by Browns Coach Paul Brown shortly after Art Modell had purchased the team and without the knowledge or consent of Modell . This was standard operating procedure with the Browns from their inception in 1946 , as Brown was the General Manager and Head Coach . Davis chose to go to the Cleveland Brown 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 , again without the knowledge or consent of Modell , while he ( Davis ) was in San Francisco , California practicing for the East - West Shrine Game . Originally reported at $ 80 , 000 , the contract , according to Davis ' attorney , A . William ( 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 . However , the Browns ' 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 and also at Browns training camp . The rift between Coach Brown and Modell worsened when Modell brought in doctors who said Davis could play pro ball but Brown refused to suit him up . This contributed to Modell ' s decision to replace Brown before the 1963 season . Ernie was allowed to practice on the field ( without physical contact ) and helped Brown with play plans for the team , but was never played . Brown was concerned that Ernie ' s condition , although in a remission brought the morale of the team down . Davis never played 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 . Following his death , the Browns retired his number 45 jersey . Death . In the summer of 1962 , Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia and began receiving medical treatment . The disease was incurable and he died in Cleveland Lakeside Hospital May 18 , 1963 , at the age of 23 . Ernie went to Johns Hopkins when he was dying , three months after being diagnosed and through chemical treatments experienced a 4 - 5 month remission . That was the time that the controversy between Paul Brown and Art Modell took place . Both the House and the Senate 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 , New York , the same cemetery in which Mark Twain is buried . His commemorative statue stands in front of Ernie Davis Middle School , which Davis attended as Elmira Free Academy during his high school years . The building was named in his honor after its conversion to a middle school . 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 2008 , coinciding with the premiere of " The Express " and the beginning of construction of Ernie Davis Hall , a dorm on the Syracuse campus . " 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 , the sports teams of rival schools Southside High School ( Elmira , New York ) and Elmira Free Academy combined and together formed the Elmira Express , named after Ernie Davis .