Ernie Davis

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Ernie Davis bigraphy, stories - Player of American football

Ernie Davis : biography

December 14, 1939 – May 18, 1963

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. 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.

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.

Pro football career

Davis was the number-one pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. Selected by the Cleveland Browns, the pick was originally owned by the Washington Redskins. He was also drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League.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

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. "I won’t play for that S.O.B.," he was quoted as saying. 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. http://books.google.com/books?id=W8pvThJ6lRMC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=Ernie+Davis+I+won%27t+play+for+that+S.O.B.&source=bl&ots=jDajCHf_58&sig=1c85rjd8RuhJhcNGQ3OIi51SxlE&hl=en&ei=AjWTTp-UN4Ty0gGatsgL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEwQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=ernie%20davis%20I%20won%27t%20play%20for%20that%20S.O.B.&f=false

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.