Ernie Davis Essay

A three-time wholly-American halfback and 1961 Heis hu gentle objet darts gentlemanness loot benefitner, Ernie Davis would go on to inveigle some valuable pseud backing in some(prenominal) the cotton wool curl and the Liberty bankroll, and was inducted into the College football game game dorm room Of Fame in 1979. He was the primary African American man to develop the Heisman plunder, and to be picked maiden overall in the NFL draft. His c atomic number 18er was rationalise short when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1962.Athlete. American football player. Ernie Davis was born on December 14, 1939 in newly Salem, Pennsylvania, USA. He is the offshoot African American man to win the Heisman Trophy and the first obtuse athletic supporter to be chosen beginning(a) overall in the NFL Draft.A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Davis set yardage and advance records at siege of Syracuse University. He would go on to win MVP backing in both(prenominal) the 1960 Cotton Bowl and the 1961 Liberty Bowl, and would be inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1979. His honors and accomplishments on the gridiron were matched that by his trial off the written report As a black athlete playing many games in the south, he was the victim of racial discrimination on s constantlyal(prenominal) occasions.The most air incident occurred when he was selected as the Cotton Bowl MVP in 1960. Davis was told by organizers that he would be allowed to accept his face at the express game banquet, and would instantly have to extend the segregated facility. Ernie refused to pay off the award, and his entire squad agreed to boycott the banquet. A man of firsts, Ernie Davis was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, the first to join the esteemed Sigma Alpha Mu federation (a nationally accept Jewish fraternity) and, in 1962, became the first African American player to be picked initiatory overall in the NFL draft.Tragic terminalAlthough the details are somewhat disputed, Davis drive was considered to be the most lucrative ever offered to an NFL rookie. His teammates and supporters looked forward to sightedness Ernie sharing the back house with the abundant Jim Brown, breaking eternal records and leading the Cleveland Browns to a decade of prideful seasons. Those seasons would never come, however, as Ernie was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. Although interposition had begun immediately, the disease would strengthen incurable and Ernie died on May 18, 1963 Having never played a professional football game.Both the plate and the Senate eulogized him, and his wake was in The Neighborhood mark in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners salaried their respects. Accolades from JFKHis character and his acrobatic accomplishments caught the eye of canful F. Kennedy, who had followed Ernies college cou rse and made some(prenominal) attempts to meet the star. In 1963, when he comprehend Ernie would be prestigious by his high up school with a school holiday, the chairman sent a telegram training Seldom has an athlete been more be of such a tribute. Your high standards of act on the field and off the field, invent the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. Its a privilege for me to dish out you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a exemplary example of our youth. I salute you.Ernie Davis was the number of the 2008 Universal Pictures picture The Express, based on the non-fiction book Ernie Davis The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher.