Webernie davis, the “elmira express” who was the first black player to win the heisman trophy in 1961, came from humble beginnings, but persevered into. Webjohn brown (davis' teammate at syracuse and a lineman with the browns from 1962 to 1966) says he remembers the white guy lying on the ground and ernie. Weba decade later, in a nation on the brink of cataclysmic changes, thousands of young boys — black and white — would tack photographs of ernie davis to their. Webernie davis might’ve been privy to that more than any athlete in u. s. But while no one is guaranteed anything, davis proved if one just doesn’t stop trying to. Webhowever, his rise to fame was met with a devastating blow when he was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia at the young age of 23. This article delves into. Webstart a free trial to watch the express: The ernie davis story on youtube tv (and cancel anytime). Stream live tv from abc, cbs, fox, nbc, espn & popular cable.