Ernie Davis - Alive and Well

I watched a movie called "The Express" about the first African American Hiesman Trophy winner Ernie Davis (1961). Of course, Jim Brown should have been the first to win the prestigious award, but race played a factor into that decision and the award came around next to Mr. Davis. Both Brown and Davis played for Syracuse. Davis helped Syracuse win the national championship at the Cotton Bowl vs. the Texas Longhorns. Ernie Davis was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and slated to play in the backfield with Jim Brown himself.

Prior to his first season with the Browns, Ernie Davis was diagnosed with Leukemia. He died the next year in 1963. He never played in the NFL. Nevertheless, the Cleveland Browns retired his jersey, despite never setting foot on the football field.

I was teary eyed as I watched the end to this movie, but I want to tell you why. I wasn't teary eyed because I felt sorry for him. I did feel sad for him. I did feel sad because maybe he could have married and had a football career that could have blossomed. I felt sad that he wasn't alive today because I would have liked to have met him for facing up to the racial adversity he fought through all his years growing up and in college. I wanted to meet him because he seemed like a decent person and a person who loved life and people and football. I did feel sad.

Then I thought to myself, "No, he is alive and I have met him." His story was passed on to my heart. I can take him with me. That is when I realized that intertwined with all of the sadness I felt was admiration - beautiful, strong admiration. That is glory. That is a glimpse of the divine.

He wrote a letter to the Saturday Evening Post called "I'm Not Unlucky" which was published in March 1963. He was 23. years old.

Ernie Davis

1939-1963