(12/14/39 - 05/18/63)
An official from an upstate New York cemetery reported last week that someone stole a football from the grave of Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy. The cemetery is now reporting that the football was recovered over the weekend about 50 yards from Davis’ grave.
Last summer, an unknown individual paid tribute to Davis by displaying a football at the headstone of Davis’ grave. However, officials have reported on multiple occasions that the football would disappear from the display case and later reappear at random locations on cemetery grounds.
Davis, who is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York, was an All-American running back at Syracuse and won the Heisman in 1961. Unfortunately, in 1963 he was diagnosed with Leukemia and subsequently died at the young age of 23.
Cemetery superintendent Tom Henegar believes the culprits are youthful pranksters and is investigating the matter further in hopes of preventing further disruption to Davis’ grave.
