Ernie Davis (1939-1963), a Heisman Trophy winning football star, died at the age of 23 due to leukemia on May 18, 1963. The Elmira, New York native achieved great success in his collegiate career. He was named an All-American three times and won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1961 as a member of Syracuse University football team, the first African-American to do so. He also received several other nods of recognition for his achievements. Davis accepted a draft into the Cleveland Browns soon thereafter, but tragically, his dream of playing professionally was ended quickly because of his diagnosis the following year. Although his life was truncated, Davis left behind a legacy that endured. He was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979, and the story of his life and athletic success was adapted into a 2008 biographical film. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.