The Express : The Story of Ernie Davis
Remembering Ernie Davis: The Greatest Running Back You’ve Never Heard of
Ross Crawford tells the poignant story of Ernie Davis, the High Shcool and College phenom that never played a game in the NFL.
Ernie Davis: The Greatest Number 44 You Never Saw
Ernie Davis was an exceptionally gifted running back at the collegiate level for Syracuse University from 1958 - 1961.
Known simply as, “The Express” for his punishing strength to run over would-be tacklers, combined with elite top-end speed to run away from pursuing defenders. Davis is the best running back you have probably never heard of.
If a piece of football history is worth holding onto, it’s Ernie Davis.
In 1961, Davis was the first black athlete to be awarded the Heisman Trophy. The most prestigious individual prize in collegiate football.
Davis’ achievements should never be downplayed. Systemic racism and racial inequality are some of the most controversial issues in the 21st century. We can only imagine the challenges and abuse Davis faced not only on the field but also off the field throughout his life from 1939 to his death in 1963, aged 23.
Aged 23, following his historic collegiate career with the Syracuse Orangemen Davis was diagnosed with Leukemia. He passed away just 16 months after being selected number one overall in the 1962 NFL Draft.
He never played a down of professional football.
National Champion Syracuse Orangemen
Born in New Salem, Pennsylvania, Davis had to fight against adversity all his life.
His father was killed shortly after Davis was born and his mother was unable to sustain a living for them both on her own. As a result, he was raised by his grandparents until the age of 12. However, growing up Davis always exceeded in sports.
By the time of his senior year in High School, Davis was being recruited to play football by colleges across the nation. The story goes it was legendary Syracuse running back Jim Brown who persuaded Davis to commit to the Orangemen.
Brown went on to dominate at the pro level for the Cleveland Browns. He earned three NFL MVP Awards and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
College Career
Meanwhile, Davis shot to national stardom during his own collegiate career. In his sophomore year, his first playing season, Davis led the 1959 Syracuse team to a National Championship.
The same year, Davis was coined by legendary sportswriter Al Mallette as, “The Elmira Express.” Elmira after the high school Davis attended whilst living with his mother and stepfather in New York.
Davis capped a historic season for Syracuse with a Most Valuable Player performance in the 1960 Cotton Bowl. Davis led the team in rushing and receiving as the Orangemen beat the Texas Longhorns 23-14. Thus securing an 11-0 undefeated season for Syracuse and the only National Championship in school history.
Ernie Davis: Significance in College Football History
Jesse Owens dominated the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in a Major League Baseball game in 1947. Kenny Washington broke the NFL colour barrier of the modern era in 1946 by signing for the Los Angeles Rams.
In 26 years of the award, college football did not have a black winner of the Heisman Trophy until Ernie Davis in 1961.
The award earned Davis even greater national recognition, he was already a household name thanks to his 1960 Cotton Bowl performance. He backed up that campaign with two stellar seasons as the lead running back for Syracuse.
In his senior year in 1961, Davis averaged 5.5 yards a carry to the tune of 823 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in just ten games. Earning Davis both the Heisman and Walter Camp Awards.
Upon receiving the Heisman, Davis’ presence was requested to meet with President John F. Kennedy. In Robert C. Gallagher’s 1999 Biography of Davis, the author cites the telegram President Kennedy sent to Davis in 1963…
“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.”
Ernie Davis: One of the Greatest College Players of All Time
A Career Cut Short
Ernie was initially selected by the Washington Redskins first overall in the 1962 NFL Draft.
He was immediately traded to the Cleveland Browns. Joining his fellow Syracuse alum and the man who convinced Davis to sign with the Orangemen, Jim Brown. Cleveland signed Davis to the most lucrative contract for an NFL rookie up to that point, worth $200,000 over three years.
However, the dream partnership of Davis and Brown would never see the field together in a competitive game.
Davis was taken to a Chicago hospital in the Summer of 1962 after waking up with a swollen neck. The running back had been preparing to compete in a College All-Stars game against the Green Bay Packers. A diagnosis of mumps or mononucleosis was initially expected.
Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukaemia and began undergoing aggressive treatment immediately. His only appearance for the Cleveland Browns came when Davis ran onto the field followed by a spotlight prior to a preseason game at Cleveland Stadium on August 12th, 1962.
Davis underwent treatment for months at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. However, the disease was incurable and Ernie Davis passed away at Cleveland Lakeside Hospital on May 18th, 1963.
Legacy of Ernie Davis
I must confess, it is unlikely I would be aware of Ernie Davis if it wasn’t for the 2008 Biopic movie “The Express.”
The film captures the inspirational, against all odds, emotional rise to fame of running back Ernie Davis. From his birth in 1939, the early years growing up in 1940s America.
His signing for Syracuse, before focusing on his 1959 sophomore year in college in which the team went undefeated, right up to his tragic death in 1963 aged only 23.
The Express also features several highly emotional scenes that represent the unimaginable instances of racial abuse Davis and black athletes of the time faced on a daily basis.
The movie is of course riddled with historical inaccuracies, as dramatizations often are. However, the point of the movie is to bring Davis’ story into the 21st century.
A century he wasn’t able to reach himself, but through this movie, new generations of American Football fans can still learn and appreciate the greatness that came before the players of this era.
It is not an understatement to say Ernie Davis paved the way for black football players today. His mark on the sport cannot be overstated and will never be forgotten so long as there are those here to acknowledge Davis’ achievements.
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