First Black Heisman trophy winner Ernie Davis featured in movie "The Express"
I am in no way, shape, or form a football fan. That’s my husband’s job. 😉 I have him to thank for educating me about Ernie Davis during a trip we took back to Syracuse, New York last October (2007). The trip was in celebration of our 10 year wedding anniversary and included a visit to the place where we first met- the campus of Syracuse University. His undergraduate alma mater. My sophomore summer internship.
Of course, what’s a trip back to your ole stomping grounds without a visit to the bookstore? So that we did. So apropos was the walk down the stairs of the Student Center at Syracuse University. They had a mural of the early nineties and the birth of hip hop. We were literally walking back down Memory Lane.
In the bookstore, we looked at all the college gear, and I decided I wanted something, too. After all, the one of the many random things we have in common is that the school colors for both of our undergraduate and graduate universities are exactly the same- although we attended completely different schools.
Up pops this cute, feminine style, orange and blue football jersey with the number 44 on it. Naive me is just pointing out that here’s something cute for me to wear. My husband’s eyes, on the other hand, lit up with pride, insisting that I get that jersey. “You don’t know who that is?” he said to me. He then points up to a picture on the wall showing The Legend of the Number 44 which includes football greats such as Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. He continues, “That’s Ernie Davis, the first black Heisman trophy winner.” I bought it and wore it, still not doing the shirt justice.
The funny thing is, almost exactly one year later, I’m reading about the movie “The Express” which is the story of the famous first black Heisman trophy winner, number 44 from Syracuse University, Ernie Davis. Now I get it! 😉
Below is an excerpt from an article in Howard University’s “The Hilltop Online” about the movie “The Express.” As I read it, I get an additional smile to see that his love interest, Helen Gott at the time…now Helen Gray, was just a sophomore and totally not interested in football when she and Ernie met. Awww, how can I NOT go see this movie when it comes out on October 10th!
What fitting tribute.
Jim Brown, Floyd Little and other Syracuse gridiron heroes made their way back to campus to celebrate the premiere of “The Express,” the movie depicting the too-short life of the Orangemen’s gifted running back Ernie Davis.
With Davis’ Kansas City area connections, a slice of the Heartland was there in spirit.
Davis’ story is truly amazing. He became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy and helped Syracuse capture a national championship.
But his life ended tragically. Davis died of leukemia in 1963 and never joined Brown on the field for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns in what could have been a history-altering backfield.
The movie, which opens nationally on Oct. 10, uses football to tell a story of a proud individual whose profile grew along with the civil-rights movement. Syracuse’s trips to West Virginia and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas provide the racially charged backdrop.
Davis was named MVP of the Cotton Bowl but wasn’t allowed to remain for the entire dinner banquet. The team left in protest. This is after the Orangemen were denied lodging in downtown Dallas because the hotel refused to accommodate black players.
As the movie trailer says, “In a time of change, one man had the courage to achieve the extraordinary.”
To those who knew him best, Davis was ideally suited to confront challenges on and off the field.
“People remember him as a super athlete, which he was,” said John Brown, Davis’ teammate at Syracuse and his roommate in Cleveland. “I remember him as a gentle person who touched many lives.”
Including that of Helen Gott, a Syracuse student who became Davis’ girlfriend. Today, she’s Helen Gray, The Kansas City Star’s religion editor.
They met during her sophomore year Davis was a year ahead in school and his football prowess wasn’t the attraction.
“He made an impression because he was different than what I thought of as a typical jock,” Gray said. “I thought of them as being arrogant and self-absorbed. Ernie was pretty self-effacing. He was a gentleman.”…
(excerpt from article- The First African American to Win Heisman Trophy Subject of New Big Screen Movie)
Read more on Ernie Davis (there is A LOT of info out there, this is just a taste)…
The Express movie website– http://www.theexpressmovie.com/site.html
Syracuse University Athletic Department page– The Legend of #44
TheHeismanWinners.com– Ernie Davis: 1961 Heisman Winner
RedCarpet.org– Nine Clips from The Express
USA Today– ‘Elmira Express’ Ernie Davis runs again in movie
What does Ernie Davis mean to you?
What does an African American winning such a coveted award in 1961 mean to you?
