Ernie Davis - Pro Football Career

Pro Football Career

Davis was the number-one pick in the 1962 NFL Draft, becoming the first African American football player to be taken first overall. Selected by the Washington Redskins, his rights were then traded to the Cleveland Browns for Bobby Mitchell and a first-round draft choice. He was also drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League.

The decision of the Redskins to draft Davis was a reluctant one by Redskins' owner George Preston Marshall. Marshall for years, had refused to sign any black players, and the Redskins were the last NFL team to do so. He was known to be notoriously racist, and backed his decision by stating that he wanted to appeal to the NFL's southern market. The signing only came when Interior Secretary Stewart Udall issued an ultimatum to Marshall - Sign a black player, or the Redskins' 30-year lease on the D.C. Stadium (now the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium) would be revoked. The D.C. Stadium was property of the Washington city government and was funded just the same. Marshall's response was to draft Davis. Davis refused to play for the Redskins, and demanded a trade. "I won't play for that S.O.B.," he was quoted as saying. In turn a trade to Cleveland was engineered by Browns Coach Paul Brown shortly after Art Modell had purchased the team and without the knowledge or consent of Modell. This was standard operating procedure with the Browns from their inception in 1946, as Brown was the original owner, General Manager and Head Coach.

Davis signed a three-year, $200,000 contract with the Browns in late December 1961, again without the knowledge or consent of Modell, while he (Davis) was in San Francisco, California practicing for the East-West Shrine Game. Originally reported at $80,000, the contract, according to Davis' attorney, A. William (Tony) DeFilippo, consisted of $80,000 for playing football, including a $15,000 signing bonus; $60,000 for ancillary rights, such as image marketing; and $60,000 for off-season employment. It was the most lucrative contract for an NFL rookie up to that time. However, the Browns' dream of pairing Davis with Jim Brown in the backfield took a tragic turn when Davis was diagnosed with leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All-Star Game and also at Browns training camp. The rift between Coach Brown and Modell worsened when Modell brought in doctors who said Davis could play pro ball but Brown refused to suit him up. This contributed to Modell's decision to replace Brown before the 1963 season. Modell wisely informed Coach Brown in a stealth maneuver, while all Cleveland newspapers were on strike.

Davis never played a game as a professional, with his only appearance at Cleveland Stadium coming during a 1962 pre-season game, in which he ran onto the field as a spotlight followed him. Following his death, the Browns retired his number 45 jersey.