'Ernie Davis Essay\r'

'A three-time totally-American halfback and 1961 Heisman demo winner, Ernie Davis would go on to win MVP backup in two the Cotton Bowl and the intimacy Bowl, and was inducted into the College football game Hall Of Fame in 1979. He was the maiden African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, and to be picked 1st boilersuit in the NFL draft. His c arer was put out short when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1962.\r\nAthlete. American Football player. Ernie Davis was born on December 14, 1939 in impertinent Salem, Pennsylvania, USA. He is the stolon African American man to win the Heisman Trophy and the starting line depressed athlete to be chosen 1st general in the NFL Draft.\r\nA three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Davis set yardage and gain records at Syracuse University. He would go on to win MVP title in both the 1960 Cotton Bowl and the 1961 Liberty Bowl, and would be inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1979. His honors a nd accomplishments on the gridiron were matched plainly by his adversity off the field; As a black athlete playing many a(prenominal) games in the south, he was the victim of racism on several(prenominal) occasions.\r\nThe most publicized incident occurred when he was selected as the Cotton Bowl MVP in 1960. Davis was told by organizers that he would be allowed to accept his award at the post game banquet, and would immediately attain to leave the segregated facility. Ernie refused to receive the award, and his entire group agreed to boycott the banquet. A man of firsts, Ernie Davis was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, the first to join the prestigious Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity (a nationally recognized Jewish fraternity) and, in 1962, became the first African American player to be picked 1st overall in the NFL draft.\r\nTragic Death\r\nAlthough the details are somewhat disputed, Davis’ contract was considered to be the most mercantile ever offer ed to an NFL rookie. His teammates and supporters looked forward to seeing Ernie sharing the backfield with the gigantic Jim Brown, breaking countless records and leading the Cleveland Browns to a go of victorious seasons. Those seasons would never come, however, as Ernie was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. Although treatment had begun immediately, the disease would prove incurable and Ernie died on May 18, 1963 †Having never played a professional football game.\r\nBoth the House and the Senate eulogized him, and his come alive was in The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. Accolades from JFK\r\nHis character and his gymnastic accomplishments caught the centre of John F. Kennedy, who had followed Ernie’s college career and made several attempts to meet the star. In 1963, when he heard Ernie would be honored by his high school with a school holiday , the president sent a telegram reading: â€Å"Seldom has an athlete been more be of such a tribute. Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field, reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. It’s a privilege for me to address you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a congruous example of our youth. I salute you.”\r\nErnie Davis was the subject of the 2008 normal Pictures film â€Å"The Express,” based on the non-fiction book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher.\r\n'