Jerry Rice, Walter Payton and the 30 best HBCU football players of all time
By Dante Pryor
22. Willie Davis, defensive end, Grambling State
Davis was part of the Grambling State machine that ran from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Davis was one of the many players legendary head coach Eddie Robinson sent to the NFL in the heyday of HBCU football.
Davis was drafted in the 15th round by the Cleveland Browns in 1956; Davis did not begin his career until1958 after serving in the military.
One thing about being versatile, it can be difficult for coaches to find a specific place for a player. Unfortunately, this is the situation Davis found himself in during his time with the Browns. Paul Brown tried every position on offense and defense but could not find a role for Davis.
However, Vince Lombardi saw Davis’ defensive potential and traded for him in 1960. The move to Green Bay ended up being the best thing for Davis’s career. Although however, sacks were not a statistic until 1982, the Professional Football Researchers Association credit Davis with over 100 career sacks.
Davis said of himself, “I would think I would have to be the team’s all-time leader in sacks. I played for ten years, and I averaged in the ‘teens’ in sacks for those ten years. I had 25 one season.” Davis also owns the Packers’ record for most fumble recoveries with 21.
As a team leader, Davis would volunteer to sit with players who had never played on an integrated team, furthering Vince Lombardi’s edict of treating everyone equally no matter their race.