Ernie Davis

Ernie Davis
	Davis in 1962
No. 45
Position:	Halfback
Personal information
Born:	December 14, 1939; New Salem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:	May 18, 1963 (aged 23); Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:	Elmira Free ; (Elmira, New York)
College:	Syracuse (1959–1961)
NFL draft:	1962 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
AFL draft:	1962 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
	Cleveland Browns (1962)*;
	* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
	Cleveland Browns No. 45 retired; National champion (1959); Heisman Trophy (1961); Chic Harley Award (1961); Unanimous All-American (1961); Consensus All-American (1960); Second-team All-American (1959); 2× First-team All-Eastern (1960, 1961); Syracuse Orange No. 44 retired;
	College Football Hall of Fame

Ernest R. Davis (December 14, 1939 – May 18, 1963) was an American college football player for the Syracuse Orangemen who won the Heisman Trophy in 1961. He was the award's first African American recipient.^[1]^[2]^[3] Davis was selected by the Washington Redskins with the first overall pick of the 1962 NFL Draft, but was almost immediately traded to the Cleveland Browns.^[4] He was diagnosed with leukemia that same year,^[5]^[6] and died shortly after at age 23 without ever playing in a professional game.^[3] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and was the subject of the 2008 film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story.

^ Carter, Bob (1999). "Davis won Heisman, respect". ESPN Classic. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
^ "Browns' Davis succumbs in battle with leukemia". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. May 19, 1963. p. 1, sec.3.
^ ^a ^b "Ernie Davis loses battle with leukemia". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 18, 1963. p. 1B.
^ "Ernie Davis Joins Cleveland Browns". Syracuse Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. 23 December 1961. p. 9. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
^ "Blood disorder expected to keep Davis on sidelines". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. August 2, 1962. p. 1D.
^ "Illness may delay Davis' NFL debut". Chicago Tribune. August 2, 1962. p. 3, part 6.