Ernest "Ernie" Davis, born December 14. 1939 in New Salem, Pennsylvania, was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. He grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Elmira, New York to live with his mother and stepfather. In school, he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football, and earned All-American honors while at Elmira Free Academy. He was recruited by numerous colleges, but chose Syracuse University.
He played for Syracuse for three seasons and managed national fame in all of them. Twice, he won first-team All-American, and led Syracuse to a national championship in 1959. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1961 during his senior year at Syracuse.
Davis was the first overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft in December 1961 by the Washington Redskins, and traded almost immediately by the Cleveland Browns.
In the summer of 1962 he was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. He died in May 1963 without having played a professional game.
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