But it wasn't to be. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” English. Someone like Ernie Davis. "Why don't you have kids?" 44, like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis before him. The 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, based on the nonfiction book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher, helped keep Davis' memory alive by exposing new generations of fans to his story. • A Halo For A Helmet: The Whole Story Of Ernie Davis by K. Coralee Burch He was moved as halfback by his coach in 1956 and his team, Blue Devils won another league title. He led Syracuse Orangemen to a record of 11-0 in 1959 opposite Texas Longhorns. Universal Pictures made a film ‘The Express’ on the same book which began production on April, 2007 and was released on October 10th, 2008. Floyd Little carries on Ernie Davis’ legacy in a big way . Hilfiger and Ernie Davis have a lot in common, said Hilfiger's sister Betsy. Davis’ fame grew, but he remained unassuming. It was worn by Jim Brown, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis. Ernie won all-conference for the third consecutive year in 1957 and played thirteen games at the halfback position. Hyman (née Sherry) had a small roll in the film that dominates the show, so Davis' relationship with her became a part of the show as well. He compiled 686 yards on 98 carries and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, earning the nickname "The Elmira Express" and the first of three All-America selections. We strive for accuracy and fairness. I wanted to continue that legacy. He truly was … It was in the year 1960 that Davis had made a record of 7.8 yards per carry and also succeeded in becoming the third leading rusher across the country with 877 yards. Ernie Davis had that kind of effect on so many people. One of the first African American college football stars, Kenny Washington was one of two Black athletes to reintegrate the NFL in 1946. Little was the sixth overall pick in the 1967 AFL-NFL draft. A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis led Syracuse University to the national championship as a sophomore and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Universal Pictures film, ‘The Express’ was made on his story in which Rob Brown portrayed the role of Ernie Davis. "I've lived these things, the Ernie Davis story," Brown said in a recent interview. https://www.nickiswift.com/117230/hollywood-wont-cast-kristin-davis-anymore He was awarded with a couple of all-Americans and a Heisman Trophy for his performance. Ernie Davis was the first pick in the National Football League (NFL) and was selected by Washington Redskins followed by Cleveland Browns. Davis made a record of 7.8 yards per carry in Syracuse University in 1960. Ernie was selected in the junior varsity football team In Elmira Free Academy and broke his wrist in the first game. Yes, I thought it ironic that I was watching The Express on the day Floyd Little died. Ernie stepped in to the shoes of legendary Jim Brown in Syracuse University and with his immense talent led Orangemen to a national championship. Famous Role Models You Would Like To Meet. He played baseball, basketball and football at Elmira Free Academy, earning high school All-American honors in the latter two sports. I think people mean well when they ask, but it's not really a question that is as benign as they think. He was asked to leave the banquet hall as soon as he received the award and was also not allowed dinner along with one of his other black teammate. Ernie Davis was born on December 14, 1939 and died on May 18, 1963. He went on to play basketball during his injury and scored 22 points in his first game. ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Today would have been the 81st birthday of the first African American Heisman Trophy winner Ernest R. Davis, more commonly known as Ernie Davis. In Elmira, Davis excelled in baseball, football and basketball in grade school, He attended Elmira Free Academy, where h… Mr. Little was a three-time all-American at Syracuse, where he wore No. But there is so much more to his story. African American Men Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy before his life was tragically cut short by leukemia at the age of 23. I did … The character of Ernie Davis was played by Rob Brown in the movie and it made a box office collection of $9,808,124. Davis' honors and accomplishments on the gridiron were matched only by the adversity he faced off the field; as a Black athlete playing many games in the South, he was the victim of racism on several occasions. He made a school-record of 138 career points during his high school. Ernie Davis, byname of Ernest R. Davis, also called the Elmira Express, (born Dec. 14, 1939, New Salem, Pa., U.S.—died May 18, 1963, Cleveland, Ohio), American collegiate gridiron football player who was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.. As a student at Elmira (N.Y.) Free Academy, Davis was a high-school All-American in football and basketball. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. He won Heisman Trophy in 1961. Both the House and the Senate eulogized him, and his wake was held in The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. ABC News' Amanda Keegan and Linsey Davis report: For four laugh and cry-out-loud seasons, Laura Linney was the no-nonsense mom battling terminal cancer on Showtime's "The Big C." Ernie Davis would have been 23 years old at the time of death or 75 years old today. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979, and in 2005 the Syracuse football team retired No. Ernie played tackle on Small Fry football for the Superior Buick team and joined the junior varsity football team at Elmira Free Academy in New York. her only child… Ernie Davis, also known as “The Elmira Express,” was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 1939 and moved to Elmira at the age of 12. Born Mary Frances Penick in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, she and Betty Jack Davis performed as The Davis Sisters until Betty died in an auto accident in August 1953. “He would always ask more about you and your friends, and steer the conversation away from him,” Jack Moore remembered. Davis' character and his athletic accomplishments caught the eye of John F. Kennedy, who had followed his college career. Ernie Davis is best known as a Football Player. Major Works. Ernest R. Davis, popularly known as Ernie was an American football player who was the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. … "I want people to know you can excel in your profession, entertainment or sports, and you can also be a gentleman," she said. He was the first pick in the National Football League (NFL) and was selected by Washington Redskins followed by Cleveland Browns. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. Whether for riches or fame, plenty of people to claim to be the love-child or to have had the love-child of a celebrity. At the age of 12, he went to live with his mother and stepfather in Elmira, New York. Ernie Davis, wearing 44, against Boston University, 1959: At the same time he was accomplishing these exploits on the field, he was quietly helping some friends with household chores. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! With the 2008 release of the biopic “The … Ernie was approached by more than thirty colleges and he finally went for Syracuse University where his team went undefeated in 1958. His teammates and supporters looked forward to seeing the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Davis sharing the backfield with Brown, breaking countless records and leading the Cleveland Browns to a decade of victorious seasons. I wanted to go to Syracuse to be the kind of player he was and the kind of player he could have … "It is a great story, but Ernie Davis is not new to me. Davis, of course, returns and promptly reels off a long touchdown run. 44 during his games in Syracuse. The film tells the story of Ernie Davis, a football player who joins Syracuse. realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/Misc/Crests/Jefferson_davis.htm But I wince when I say that. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/angela-yvonne-davis-716.php Davis wore the jersey no. He played Ernie Thompson, a foster child living with a family down the street from the Douglas clan. Little was a three-time All-American at Syracuse, where he wore No. “He didn’t have any need to talk about himself. Soon people’s interests turned to his family, and those who he had left behind. Those seasons would never come, however, as Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. It was worn by Jim Brown, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis. Davis award while serving with station WTTM. From 1964 to 1966, he ran for 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns. Ernie Davis described by teammates and fellow students paint a much different one than the one Jim Brown made up!Perhaps the directors should have just made a film about Jim Brown and his experiences with racism which he truly endured. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball after joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. While he had told Davis face-to-face he was interested, he was still on the fence. Only after hearing the news of Davis’ death months later did Little fully commit to Syracuse. His athletic ability, perseverance and hard work came in to the limelight after becoming the first … “The Express,” which opened nationwide October 10, profiles Ernie Davis, who in 1961 became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. 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