first black football player cleveland browns

It was a point of contention between Modell and Brown, but Brown won. As a sophomore, Davis led the 1959 Syracuse team to a national championship, capping an 11–0 season with a 23–14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic, where Davis was named Most Valuable Player. "He lived at a young age.". Alarms began to sound during workouts for an exhibition game between college and pro all-stars. [21][22] Originally reported at $80,000, the contract, according to Davis's attorney, Tony DeFilippo, consisted of $80,000 for playing football, including a $15,000 signing bonus; $60,000 for ancillary rights, such as image marketing; and $60,000 for off-season employment. Following his death, the Browns retired his number 45 jersey. Or when he disarmed a volatile situation at a Virginia diner that almost led to violence when he, John Brown and other friends were denied service on a trip to visit friends. [24] He was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia and began receiving medical treatment. “There were only 12,000 fans at … The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. [1][2][3] Davis played college football for Syracuse University and was the first pick in the 1962 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Cleveland Browns. ", Said John Brown: "Oh man, that night. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC. Cleveland Browns Long Sleeve T-Shirts and Long Sleeve Tees at the Official Online Store of the Browns. The day he was honored at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, he had a chance encounter with President John F. Kennedy, who also was in the city. "He was the star, but he was black. Coming off their 12-6 season, the Cleveland Browns lay claim to the No. I think that would have satisfied him. We had broken down some barriers, and I thought it would be a good school. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. "It is a great story, but Ernie Davis is not new to me. Former Cleveland Browns’ Clay Matthews speaks during halftime of an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, in Cleveland. [3] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and was the subject of the 2008 film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story. He became active in youth football, basketball and baseball and was the best player in every sport. [10] Later in 1963, when Elmira chose February 3 to celebrate Davis' achievements, Kennedy sent a telegram, reading: Seldom has an athlete been more deserving of such a tribute. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. That's why, when he was told of his terminal illness in the summer of 1962, he -- at least publicly -- seemed barely fazed. A motion picture biography, The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, directed by Gary Fleder and based on the non-fiction book The Elmira Express: the Story of Ernie Davis by Robert C. Gallagher, began production in April 2007[25] and was released on October 10, 2008. He had that thing.". Davis played football for coach Ben Schwartzwalder at Syracuse University from 1959 to 1961, and went on to national fame in each of those three seasons, twice winning first-team All-American honors. The disease was incurable and Davis died at age 23 at Cleveland Lakeside Hospital on May 18, 1963.[3]. At the end of his senior season he was recruited by numerous colleges, and chose to attend Syracuse University after being persuaded by Jim Brown, a Syracuse alumnus.[7]. There was Malcolm (X), Elijah (Muhammad), Huey (Newton) and Stokely (Carmichael), Angela (Davis), J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy. His humility drew acceptance by even some of the more intolerant players and coaches, who often had no choice but to admire and respect his athletic greatness and competitive nature, if nothing else. "The Express," a film chronicling Davis' brief but impactful life, re-introduces Davis to the world this week. Ernie Davis' only real NFL footnote was that, as part of a trade between Washington and Cleveland in 1962, he became the first black player drafted first overall. Rob Brown plays Davis, with Dennis Quaid portraying Davis' Syracuse University coach, Ben Schwartzwalder. He just simply didn't know better, the same way someone who never has had three square meals doesn't realize he's not getting what most would consider a normal day's nourishment. Brown refused to play Davis. The stories have grown more hushed over time, as some of those who knew him have died or grown to where their recollection has become somewhat of a faint memory. Davis was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania. "The PA announcer said, 'Here is another member of the Browns' offensive team, No. The signing only came when Interior Secretary Stewart Udall issued an ultimatum to Marshall: sign a black player by the start of the 1962 season, or he would revoke the Redskins' 30-year lease on D.C. Stadium (now Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium). Visit ESPN to view the Cleveland Browns team stats for the 2020 season. Davis and his black teammates were allowed to finish their meals at the banquet. "I wasn't privy to the dynamics (involving) Mr. Modell and coach Paul Brown, but here was a guy who reached the optimum. "My first meeting with him I said I was going to tell him the truth. It was unbelievable, and that made him happy. Bill Willis tried out and made the team in August 1946 when the team was formed. During those years, the Browns were 59-6-3, with four championships in the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) and a fifth in 1950 following the NFL/AAFC merger. ©MMXVIII Tank Productions, all pictures and logos, team names are property of the National Football League. I also told him that he could be a part of bringing justice and dignity, in a much quieter way, just because of how he was and I was. Initial tests revealed leukemia in its most serious form. Like when he overcame racial insults and in-the-pile punches and pinches by Texas players in his dazzling 1960 Cotton Bowl appearance that earned unbeaten Syracuse a national championship. Last updated on September 27, 2018 at 11:40 pm ET. After recently sharing his recollection of Davis, he struggled his way out of a chair -- he just had both knees replaced -- and he grabbed the hand of a strapping young man, standing at his side. Those doctors told Brown that Davis would be in harm's way if he played. "He said, 'I met President Kennedy,' and he told me what a humble guy President Kennedy was. Both houses of the United States Congress eulogized Davis, and a wake was held at The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. He had to look out for teammates, understand for the coach. John Brown laughs at young men today when they tell him they wouldn't have been as accommodating as Davis or a lot of other black people in the 1950s and '60s when faced with racial intolerance and hatred. One Syracuse player, Gerhard Schwedes, recommended that the whole Syracuse team leave the banquet to show solidarity with their black teammates, but the suggestion was overruled by Syracuse officials. Very few people could cross those lines.". Modell conferred with coach Paul Brown, who conferred with other doctors.

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