Earnest Davis was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania on December 14, 1939 and spent the early years of his life near the Pittsburgh area. Davis lived with his grandparents until the age of 12 when he moved to Elmira, New York with his mother and stepfather. Davis was an exceptional athlete from an early age, excelling at multiple sports. He honed his athletic abilities playing in the Small Fry youth football league and engaging in athletics at the local community center (the Neighborhood House, known as the “Nabe”).
Davis continued his football career in high school becoming Elmira’s player of the year and an
All-American in both his Junior and Senior years. Upon graduating from Elmira Free Academy, Davis enrolled at Syracuse University and took his talents to the national stage. The rest, as they say, is history, with Davis becoming one of the most revered figures in football history.
Celebrating the early years of Davis' career in Elmira, offered here are Davis' Wilson vintage football pads, worn by the future legend during his high school playing days. The pads show solid wear and aging as expected, and source direct from Davis' mother, Marie Davis Fleming, with her Letter of Provenance accompanying. A superb piece of early Ernie Davis football history!