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Ernie Davis, the Elmira Express: The Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner

2008

Synopsis

The number-one draft pick in the 1962 NFL draft, he signed a record rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns and seemed destined for professional stardom. However, he never played a down in the NFL. That summer, he was diagnosed with leukemia. His lifelong dream would remain unfulfilled when he succumbed to the disease less than a year later.

In battling his illness, Ernie continued to show the dignity and heart of a champion, becoming an inspiration to the nation and moving President John F. Kennedy to eulogize him as "an outstanding man of great character".

Ernie Davis almost certainly would have made his mark in professional football. But it was not his football achievements alone that made his life unforgettable. Instead, it was his unique personal qualities that are most vividly remembered.

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The Express: The Ernie Davis Story

Ernie Davis was an All-American on the gridiron, and a man of integrity off the field. A multi-sport high school star in Elmira, New York, Davis went on to Syracuse University, where as a sophomore he led his team to an undefeated season and a national championship in 1959, and earned his nickname, ...

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A Halo For A Helmet: The Whole Story Of Ernie Davis

Ernie Davis, #44 at Syracuse University, was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, then recruited to the Cleveland Browns, and expected to be a running back playing in the backfield with another great African American athlete, Jim Brown. He died of acute leukemia before he could play...

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