Herbert Allan Davis (November 12, 1899 – January 9, 1997) was an American football player.
.jpg) Herb Davis, 1921 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | November 12, 1899 Piqua, Ohio |
| Died: | January 9, 1997 (aged 97) Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 173 lb (78 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Middletown (OH) |
| College: | Xavier |
| Position: | Back, End |
| Career history | |
| |
Early years
editDavis was born in Piqua, Ohio, in 1899. He attended Middletown High School in Ohio.[1]
St. Xavier
editDavis declined a contract to play professional baseball for the Detroit Tigers and instead enrolled at St. Xavier College (later renamed Xavier University) of Cincinnati.[2] He played college football as a halfback for St. Xavier from 1920 to 1923.[1][3][4] By 1921, he had become known as "the wonder boy" of the Xavier football team.[5] The Centre College athletic director called Davis the best all-around halfback that he and Centre's coach had seen.[6] The Cincinnati Post in 1922 selected Davis as the best of Cincinnati's athletes.[7] As a senior in 1922, he scored 41 of St. Xavier's 87 points.[8]
While at St. Xavier, Davis also played baseball and basketball and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams.[2]
Professional football
editDavis played semi-pro football for Cincinnati's Potter semi-pro team in 1924.[9] He also played professional football at the back and end positions in the National Football League (NFL) for the Columbus Tigers in 1925 and 1926. He appeared in 10 NFL games.[10] And in 1927, he played for the Cincinnati National Guards.[11]
Family and later years
editDavis was married in 1923 to Mary Sander.[12] After his playing career ended, Davis became the first sports announcer for WCKY radio in Cincinnati. He was also the city's recreation superintendent. He retired in 1967 and moved to Florida and then to Virginia. He died in 1997 at age 97 in Lynchburg, Virginia.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Herb Davis". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Herb Davis, worked on radio and as city recreation chief". The Cincinnati Post. January 11, 1997. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "He's Making a Name With Saints". The Cincinnati Post. October 21, 1920. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Davis Stars For the Saints". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 7, 1920. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wonder Player of Saints Is Ready for Hardest Test". The Cincinnati Post. October 27, 1921. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Herb Davis Called 'Best Halfback' by Charley Moran". The Cincinnati Post. October 22, 1921. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Our Best Athlete". The Cincinnati Post. August 26, 1922. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Davis Makes 41 of Team's 87 Points". The Cincinnati Post. December 4, 1923. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Herb Davis To Play: Star of Potters Eleven To Get Into Game With Covington Sunday". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 6, 1924. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Herb Davis". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ "Sound Legs Make Herb Davis a Great Safety Man for Guards". The Cincinnati Post. November 18, 1927. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Herb Davis Marries: St. Xavier Captain Leads Middletown Girl To Altar". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 30, 1923. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.