Syracuse Football has had a long history of success. We look back at some of the best players to play at Syracuse University. Up next, No. 3: Ernie Davis.
Syracuse Football has had its ups and downs over the years, but one thing most fans of the sport can agree on is that Syracuse University has had some of the best running backs of all-time. Early on here in the 21st century that has not really been as much of the case, but in the past the Orangemen had superstar after superstar come through the program, each paving their own path to greatness. Next on our list, No. 3 Ernie Davis, was a legend both on and off the field and to this day is considered one of the best running backs to ever play the game of football.
Following in the footsteps of Jim Brown, who is still to come on this list, Ernie Davis went to Syracuse with the mindset he wanted to make his own legacy while at Syracuse. Playing the same position as his predecessor, halfback (running back), Davis more than held his own while still wearing the #44 jersey that Brown also wore.
Standing at 6’2- 205 pounds, he was a force to be reckoned with. Originally from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Davis attended Elmira Free Academy and quickly earned the nickname on the football team as the “Elmira Express”, according to Cuse.com. He backed up that nickname at Syracuse by how he burst through the hole in the line to pick up big yards. Once he got his engine going it was hard to slow him down. He had the speed and agility to pick up big yards in a hurry, and if you didn’t control that you were going to be in for a long day.
In his first year, his sophomore campaign in 1959, Davis made an immediate impact. He led Syracuse with 98 carries for 686 yards (an average of 7.0 yards per carry), and eight rushing touchdowns to pair with 11 receptions for 94 yards (8.5 yards average). His 686 rushing yards ranked 11th in the country that year!
In addition to being excellent on offense, Davis also played well defensively, recording two interception returns for touchdowns as well bringing his touchdown total to 10. Davis’s efforts on the football field that year led the Orangemen to an undefeated 10-0 record, a No. 1 ranking in the country, and a place in the Cotton Bowl (that year’s national championship) against No. 2 Texas.
Davis had a huge game, earning MVP honors after rushing eight times for 57 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching one reception for 87 yards and a touchdown. The Orangemen as a result would go on to win the national championship 23-14: Syracuse University’s only national championship in football to this day.
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In 1960, Davis improved his numbers substantially while still being just as consistent as the year before. In his junior campaign, he rushed 112 times for 877 yards (7.8-yard average) and eight touchdowns to pair with 11 receptions for 141 yards (12.8-yard average) and two touchdowns, according to Sports-Reference.com. His 877 yards ranked third in the nation and his 7.8-yard rushing average still stands as an SU single-season record to this day.
The Orange would not go undefeated like the previous year, but would still finish with a decent record of 7-2. His performance on the football field earned him All-America honors from multiple media outlets including: Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News, ABC-TV, and the United Press International, according to Cuse.com.
In his final season in Orange in 1961, Davis once again showed up in a big way. He would rush 150 times to the tune of 823 yards (5.5-yard average) and 12 rushing touchdowns to pair with 16 receptions for 157 yards (9.8-yard average) and two touchdowns. It often felt like he could not be stopped.
Davis also had one passing touchdown and one interception return for a touchdown as well. Sure his rushing and reception averages dipped a bit from previous years, but he was able to help the Orange score more which really offset that.
He led the Orangemen to a 7-3 record and a place in the Liberty Bowl. In that game against Miami (FL) he rushed 30 times for 140 yards and one touchdown on the way to a tight 15-14 win. His performances on the football field once again earned him unanimous All-America Honors.
In addition, Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman trophy in 1961, given to the nation’s best player. To this day he is the only Syracuse Football player to ever win the sport’s most coveted award.
In his time at Syracuse, he finished with 360 carries for 2,386 rushing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 220 total points. In addition, he also set multiple Syracuse Football records (all stats below are courtesy of Cuse.com):
- 6.63 Yards per carry– Career (1st)
- 7.83 yards per carry– 1960 (1st)
- 15.7 yards per carry against West Virginia– 1959 (1st)
- 7.00 yards per carry- 1959 (2nd)
- Six 100-yard games- 1960 (T-3rd)
- 82.3 Yards per game- Career (5th)
- 28 Rushing touchdowns- Career (T-4th)
- 12- 100 yard rushing games- Career (T-5th)
- 12 touchdowns- 1961 (T-7th)
- Five 100-yard games- 1961 (T-10th)
As is normal for players of Davis’s caliber, the NFL came calling at season’s end. The Cleveland Browns hoped they could pair superstar running back Jim Brown (Davis’s predecessor at Syracuse) with Davis) and traded star wide receiver Bobby Mitchell to the Washington Redskins in an effort to gain the draft rights to Davis.
The trade went through successfully and Davis was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 1962 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, Davis never got to play one snap in the NFL as he contracted leukemia and passed away only a few months later on May 18th, 1963 at the age of 23.
Though his passing was tragic and sudden, it still does not take away from what was one of the best careers of any running back to ever play football, let alone at Syracuse University. He continued the legacy of #44 until Floyd Little could do justice to the jersey once again a few years later. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979, and named to Syracuse University’s All-Century team in 1999, according to Cuse.com.
On a side note, in an honorary measure, Hollywood came calling in 2008 and released a movie about Davis’s time at Syracuse. Though it was fictional and full of inaccuracies according to players who played at that time, according to Syracuse.com, they did agree that it brought back Ernie Davis to a generation that may have forgotten what he was able to accomplish.
Though Davis never had a pro career, he left a legacy at Syracuse that will not be soon forgotten. He sits among the best all-time rushers statistically in Syracuse Football’s history, led the Orangemen to their only football national championship in 1959, and their first of two undefeated seasons (the other was 1987 when the Orange went 11-0-1).
More importantly, he became the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy during a time when racism was prevalent. Sure, it’s impressive that he is the only Syracuse football player to ever win the coveted trophy given to the nation’s best player. However, the fact that Davis won the award for what he accomplished both on and off the field despite adversity, will always be what makes Davis one of the most legendary figures of all-time.
Ernie Davis’s journey at Syracuse was short, but it was impactful. The fact he sits No. 3 on our list tells you how highly thought of he is despite not having a pro career. We may never see a running back or a man quite like Ernie Davis ever again. He was special and one of a kind and because of that the “Elmira Express” will chug on through the ages and beyond.