People, Locations, Episodes

Ernie Davis, Football Player born

Ernie Davis

Ernie Davis was born in 1939 in New Salem, Pennsylvania. He was a Black American College Football player and the first Black man to win the Heisman Trophy.

Davis spent part of his boyhood years in Uniontown, PA, where he lived with his grandparents until relocating to Elmira to live with his mother and stepfather permanently.  His talent in sports bloomed early. In Uniontown, where sports were everything, he excelled at every sport.  Davis moved to Elmira, N.Y., at 12, becoming Elmira's favorite son both as an outstanding athlete and a respected and well-loved citizen.  Davis attended Elmira Free Academy and was first-team All-Southern Tier Conference in football, basketball, and baseball.

He was selected as Elmira Player of the Year and high school All-American in his junior and senior years. Davis also excelled in the classroom. Colleges coast to coast closely watched Ernie’s athletic ability.  Scholarship offers came from over 50 schools, including Notre Dame, Air Force, and UCLA. Recruiting in 1958 was not as sophisticated as it is today, plus many colleges, particularly those in the South, did not offer scholarships to Black players. Davis chose Syracuse University.  The school enjoyed its greatest football success while Davis played for them.  The team's record was 24-5, plus two bowl victories.

Davis' performance against the University of Pittsburgh that year inspired the nickname "The Elmira Express." Elmira Star-Gazette sports writer Al Mallette coined the phrase. In his senior year in 1961, Davis’ receipt of the Heisman Trophy was historic and unprecedented. He was the first Black athlete to win the esteemed award. Davis was the number one pick for the 1962 National Football League draft following his senior year.

He signed with the Cleveland Browns to a three-year no-cut, no-trade $65,000 contract with a $15,000 signing bonus setting a new record for a rookie. This was less money than the AFL Buffalo Bills had offered him, but reportedly he picked the Browns because they were part of the more established NFL; plus, the team coach was Art Modell, and an outstanding player was Jim Brown. Davis' hometown held "Elmira Salutes Ernie Davis Day" on February 3, 1962.

Special guests included NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Jim Brown, Art Modell, and Ben Schwartzwalder. The community gave him a brand new 1962 Thunderbird convertible. President John F. Kennedy sent the following telegram: "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."

Called the "Elmira Express," Davis was diagnosed with acute monotypic leukemia on July 30, 1962. He died on Saturday, May 18, 1963, and was mourned by the nation. Though Ernie never played a game for the Cleveland Browns, they retired his number 45, worn only in practice. Both houses of the U.S. Congress eulogized Davis.  In Elmira, more than 10,000 citizens passed the neighborhood house where he lay in state. All flags in the city were flown at half-mast. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.