The life story of Syracuse legend Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, is told in 'The Express'.
Davis' Story Inspires the Orange via 'The Express'
9/7/2008 2:49:34 PM | Football
Excitement was building as the Syracuse Syracuse University
After growing up in poverty, Davis, played in the movie by Rob Brown, came to Syracuse looking to follow in the footsteps of former Syracuse great, Jim Brown, in his quest to play professional football. Upon his arrival, he encountered racial tensions that illustrated the state of America in the 1960s. Through it all, Davis fought the odds for African-American equality and changed the face of American sports forever.
Nearly 50 years later, the story is still an inspiration – particularly to those donning the Orange. For how quickly Davis rose to the top, tragedy suddenly struck when leukemia took his life at the young age of 23. Today, Orange men playing decades later are still hoping for their chance to continue his short-lived legacy, both on and off the field.
“It’s hard to see something like that happen, but it just leaves everybody thinking of "The Express" and how we have to carry on his tradition,” said senior captain Bruce Williams. “All that ran through my mind was, ‘Wow, Ernie Davis was a great man.’ To have him set foot in Hall of Languages, where we go to class, and to see him on the quad, where we walk every day, is a blessing for us.”
Seeing Davis fight for Syracuse’s sole national championship instilled a similar sense of determination in the team.
“It’s definitely inspiring and it definitely makes us want to play for those before us,” said senior captain Patrick Shadle.
Another inspirational figure in SU’s rise to the top was head coach Ben Schwartzwalder, played by actor Dennis Quaid. Schwartzwalder helped turn Davis into one of the best running backs in football history – a feat for any coach. Perhaps more notably, though, was Davis’ ability to teach his famed coach the power of determination under unfavorable circumstances.
“I thought Dennis Quaid did a great job,” Syracuse head football coach Greg Robinson said. “I’d like to believe that the way Ernie talked about him, just as Jim Brown did, he earned great respect from his players.”
The world premiere of The Express will take place on Friday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the historic Landmark Theatre in downtown Syracuse.
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