Willie Davis (defensive end)
- Cleveland Browns (1958, 1959)
- Green Bay Packers (1960-1969)
- 5 × Pro Bowl selection ( 1963-1967 )
- 6 × All-Pro selection ( 1962-1967 ) 1 2 team
- NFL 1960s All- Decade Team
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1981 )
- Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
- Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
- Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
- Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (1983 )
- Walter Camp Man of the Year (1986 )
- Byron " Whizzer " White NFL Man of the Year Award ( 1976)
- 2 × Super Bowl winners (I, II)
- 5 × NFL or NFC champion (1961, 1962, 1965-1967 )
William " Willie" Delford Davis ( born July 24, 1934 in Lisbon, Louisiana, USA) is an American former American football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League ( NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers.
Youth
Willie Davis was born in Louisiana, but grew up in Texarkana, Arkansas, where he attended high school. He had two siblings and was raised by his mother alone. Davis played basketball and baseball and against the wishes of his mother and American football. This initially knew of his football passion and noticed it only when Willie returned home late after an away game. Ultimately, she accepted the hobby of her son.
Playing career
College career
In 1952 Willie Davis received an athletic scholarship to the Grambling State University, a college for dark-skinned students. The mother of Willie was only willing to accept the offer of the college after her had assured the coach of the " Grambling State Tigers" that his son and the other players would generally go to church and Sunday school on Sunday. Davis was in his last two years of study team captain of the Tigers and was elected in 1955 to the All- American. This year, he played with his college team in the Orange Blossom Classic. His team won the game against the Florida A & M University with 28:21.
Professional career
Davis was drafted in 1956 by the Cleveland Browns in the 17th round to 181 place. Before he could play for the Browns, he had to do his military service in the U.S. Army. There he played football in a military team. In 1958, he then joined the trained by Paul Brown Browns. The next two years should the game not been a happy one for Davis. He always had the players change position, although he had originally been committed as defensive end. He came as offensive tackle and defensive tackle for use. Although Brown Davis also in 1960 wanted to use as offensive tackle, he was released before the season to the Green Bay Packers. Vince Lombardi, coach of the Packers, was convinced of Davis and in particular its speed. He realized that he was the ideal player to be able to exert on the opposing quarterback in the passing game pressure. Lombardi continued Davis henceforth as a defensive end. This evolved in the team from Green Bay alongside players like Bart Starr, Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor to a leading player.
Already in the first game of the year Davis the Packers were able to move in the NFL final, subject to there but the Philadelphia Eagles with 17:13. The next two years should the game run much more successful for Davis. In 1961, he won his first championship in the NFL, in the final game the Packers had beaten the New York Giants with 37:0. The following year, the Packers were able to defend their title and defeated in the title game, the Giants again, this time with 16:7.
1965 Davis could win his third NFL title. His team arrived in the NFL championship game to the Browns and was able to defeat with 23:12. Also in the following two rounds, the Packers were the dominant team in the NFL. After the regular season in 1966, the Packers met in the championship game of the NFL on the Dallas Cowboys. The supervised by Tom Landry Cowboys were beaten with 34:27. The victory meant for the Packers to move into the " AFL- NFL Championship Game". The game was later renamed the Super Bowl. Opponent in the Super Bowl I had the Kansas City Chiefs, who had to leave with a 35:10 defeat the playing field.
Winning the Super Bowl II should prepare Davis and the Packers much more difficulties. In the NFL playoff they met again on the Cowboys after the Packers had previously defeated the Los Angeles Rams with 28:7 in the play-offs. The match against the team from Dallas was held in Green Bay at -25 degrees Celsius and should be received as the Ice Bowl in the history of the NFL. The Cowboys were in the game for a long time an equal opponent, only a few seconds left in the game quarterback Bart Starr could decide the game with a touchdown. Opponent in the upcoming Super Bowl II were the Oakland Raiders. The kicker Don Chandler of the Packers had a very good day in his last professional game. He succeeded in attaining four field goals and three point after touchdown, which he contributed a total of 15 points for his team 33:14.
Willie Davis played two years with the Packers. However, the team was unable to build on the great successes of the previous years. In 1969 he ran for the last time for the team from Wisconsin on December 21, 1969. The game against the Chicago Cardinals was renamed in his honors by the Packers in " Willie Davis Day".
After the career
Willie Davis was employed after his playing career in the organization of the Green Bay Packers. He worked simultaneously as a moderator for the National Broadcasting Company ( NBC). During his playing career, he studied at the University of Chicago, where he made a business degree. Davis is an executive board member of the All-Pro Broadcasting Cooperation and sits on the board of other companies, among which are well known companies such as Metro -Goldwyn -Mayer or Kmart.
Honors
Willie Davis played five times in the Pro Bowl, the final game of the best players of the season. Six times he was elected to the All- Pro. He is a member of the NFL 1960s All- Decade Team in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, in the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame and in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. The magazine " The Sporting News" named him in 1999 to No. 69 of the list of the 100 best football players of all time.