Did You Know. . . .

Did you know that Ernie Davis is our first Heisman Trophy winner?

Initiated on January 4, 1960, Ernie Davis' short life full of football fame has never been forgotten by Eta fraters. Syracuse University alumnus Bernie Fine noted that Davis was the first African-American member. “When Davis went to Cleveland, some senior alumni had a luncheon in his honor, first African-American member of the Fraternity. It lain to rest questions about how he would be received,” recalls Bill Schwartz.

Ernie Davis’ story has not been forgotten by Universal Studios either. Davis, "The Elmira Express" became college football’s first African-American winner of the Heisman Trophy as tailback for the Orange in 1961. Davis led Syracuse to its only national football championship in 1959 and was the first player taken in the 1962 NFL Draft. But tragically, Davis never played professional football. After being drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Ernie died of a virulent form of leukemia. A film based on the book "Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express", is set for nationwide release October 10, 2008. Rob Brown stars as Davis and Dennis Quaid as Orange football coach, Ben Schwartzwalder.