Amazingly Me

When I said I want to learn and love football, I was damn serious. Yesterday I was able to watch a movie entitled '"The Express" by Gary Felder. It was a true story based on the life of Ernest "the Elmira Express" Davis. He was a running back, wearing jersey number 44 for Syracuse University. He led their team to many championship and even won the Most Valuable Player award of the 1960 Cotton Bowl and the 1961 Liberty Bowl.

It was an amazing film, his life was an inspiration. Ernie Davis was played by Rob Brown and his college coach Ben Schwartzwalder was played by veteran actor Dennis Quaid. Although the movie did not focus so much on the game or game rules, somehow it made me more interested on the game.

During Davis' American football career he faced many challenges. One of the greatest challenge he had to face and had to overcome was the issue on racism. Somehow he felt that if he excelled in what he does he will be able to prove that they were not a lesser race and in fact superior as he out bested other football players. And he did, he became the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy.

Davis and then President John F. Kennedy
(photo taken after he received his Heisman Trophy)

But Davis died at a very early age of 23 because of Leukemia. He died even before he could play at the NFL which was his greatest dreams. He was the number pick for the 1962 NFL draft. He was picked by the Washington Redskins but then traded to Cleveland Browns. The same team his idol, mentor and fellow Syracuse football player Jim Brown. But it was also during that time that his condition was discovered. Davis died almost one year after he was diagnosed, May 18, 1963, he was only 23 years old.