American football player (born 1945)
American football player
Benjamin Frank Davis (born October 30, 1945) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and return specialist for 10 years in the National Football League (NFL). He is the brother of political activist Angela Davis.
Early years
Davis was born in 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama.[1] His father, a graduate of St. Augustine's College, a traditional black college in Raleigh, North Carolina, was briefly a high school history teacher, but found it more lucrative to own and operate a service station in the black section of Birmingham.[2] His mother, with an MA from New York University, was an elementary school teacher.[2] The family owned a large home in a middle class mixed neighborhood called "Dynamite Hill"[2] after so-called "night rider" terrorists began bomb attacks on civil rights leaders clustered there.[2]
To avoid the racial strife for which Dynamite Hill was named, children in the Davis family spent time with friends and relatives elsewhere. Davis graduated from Fair Lawn High School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, at the age of 15,[1][3] then marked time by attending Bridgton Academy, a prep school in Maine until he was old enough to enroll in Defiance College[1] in rural Defiance, Ohio.
"I went to Defiance because I was looking for the same type of environment as the prep school," Davis told Fred Greetham in 2001.[1] "I was in the band in high school, but I decided to go out for the football team in college. By the time we were seniors, we were undefeated."
Professional career
Davis was drafted in the 17th (and last) round by the Cleveland Browns in the 1967 NFL/AFL draft.[4] With Paul Warfield, Gary Collins and Clifton McNeil already established as receivers, Davis was switched to a defensive role. In his rookie year, he led the league in punt returns, averaging 12.7 yards per return, and one 52-yard return for a touchdown. He also led the Browns in returning kickoffs, with 27 returns totalling 708 yards, including one of 63 yards.[1] Only Leroy Kelly (15.6), Greg Pruitt (12.9) and Eric Metcalf (12.9) ever had better years returning punts for the Browns.[1]
In 1968, Davis started at cornerback, and led the team with 8 interceptions. The season's 32 interceptions that year set a Browns record. His individual performance is the 3rd-best in Browns history, and he still holds the record for seven consecutive games with an interception.[1]
A torn anterior cruciate ligament benched Davis during the 1969 season, and half of the 1970 season.[1]
He was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1974 for a 5th-round draft pick.[4]
Post-NFL
Davis went into copier sales after his football career ended, then went into cable television and bought a radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1] Since 1995, he has owned and operated Britt Business Systems, a Xerox dealer, in the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood, Ohio. Davis has lived in Cleveland since 1967, even commuting to Detroit when he played for the Lions.
Personal life
Davis and his wife Sylvia have two grown children, Cecilie and Ben III, who both live in California.[1] Davis's sister, Angela Davis, is a prominent political activist. A younger brother, Reggie Davis, also attended Defiance College.[5]
External links
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Where are they now?[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d Angela Davis arrested
- ^ Benjamin F. Davis Jr., The History Makers. Accessed March 24, 2022. "Football player and entrepreneur Ben Davis was born on October 30, 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama to B. Frank and Sallye B. Davis. His sister is activist, author, and professor Angela Davis. He graduated at age fifteen from Fair Lawn High School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey in 1961, and attended Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton, Maine from 1961 to 1963."
- ^ a b Browns draft history Archived August 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Defiance College Defender, November 10, 1970
