The Elmira Express Ernest R. Davis was one of the most electric college football running backs in history. Ernie Davis lived one exiting life, from having to fill the shoes of the great Jim Brown, to being named the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis lived his life in simple pleasures, by doing the right thing and letting good things return to him. Ernie Davis the star running back for the Syracuse Orangemen, the story of the Elmira Express. Ernest R. Davis was born in New Salaam, Pennsylvania, in 1939 (“About Ernie”). As a child Davis would suffer with a stuttering problem which held him back a little in the classroom and with making friends. Davis originally grew up with his grandparents but up until he was 12 he would finally move in with his mother in Elmira, New York ("Ernie Davis Biography”). Davis right away set out to join the pee wee football team. Every since then Davis excelled at the game of football. …show more content…
Davis played baseball, basketball, and football in high school. Some would go on saying basketball was Davis’s best sport, in leading the Elmira Free Academy to a 52 win streak and earning All-American honors in the sport ("Ernie Davis Biography”). In playing in nearly every sport Davis would always play hard and as a very well team player, always trying to win. Davis began getting heavily recruited by Syracuse University. Coach Ben Schwartzwalder began routines of coming up to Elmire to visit Davis and his family. Since Davis grew up with his grandfather, he always wanted his grandfather, “pops” to have a say in what he did. Davis still had no idea where he was going to attend, but what sealed the deal with Syracuse was when Jim Brown the former Syracuse running back came to help Coach Schwartzwalder recruit, Davis ("Ernie Davis