Ernie Davis was a star athlete at Syracuse University and the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Talk about couples goals! He later becomes a professional athlete in the National Football League and signs a contract with the The film's epilogue displays a series of graphics stating that Davis died on May 18, 1963 at the age of 23; while in condolence, President Kennedy expresses sympathy for Davis' fine character as a citizen and an athlete.
How he handles it and how he challenges Schwartzwalder to stand up for his players provide a counterpoint to several great seasons that lead first to a national championship and then to the Heismann Trophy.Rated PG for thematic content, violence and language involving racism, and for brief sensualitywatching Ernie practice against high school players
He must decide what he's willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with NFL dreams.
Towards the end of the game, Davis scores a crucial touchdown to preserve a Syracuse lead.
When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive. The film was a co-production between the film studios of Several years later, Syracuse University football head coach At the start of the 1959 college football season, Davis immediately excels playing for the varsity team, to lead Syracuse to victories over several college football teams. Davis was told of his terminal illness, leukemia, during the summer of 1962. At the NFL Draft, General Manager Sonny Weaver has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick.
Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him. Schwartzwalder recruits Davis with the help of All-American running back, Jim Brown. Schwartzwalder recruits Davis with the help of All-American running back, Jim Brown. According to a saddened Art Modell, he said "They told him as gently as they coul… Use the HTML below. 39 of 49 people found this review helpful. The young, stuttering Ernie Davis posts a picture of Jackie Robinson on his wall - "this man is doing alot without sayin' nothin." Other inaccuracies are more along the line of the discrepancies in any fictionalized depiction of historical events.
The civil rights movement is gaining steam; Davis experiences prejudice on campus, in town, and on the field, sometimes from teammates. A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. A local sports columnist dubbed him the Elmira Express. After Syracuse defeats UCLA to conclude the regular season undefeated, the team decides by choice to play the 2nd ranked Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Amazon.com Based on the real-life story of college football hero Ernie Davis, The Express will remind some moviegoers of the heart-tugging Brian's Song. In 1961, Davis goes on to win the Heisman Trophy following his senior season in college. This practice did not change until the late 60's. MLB celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on Friday. In 1966, Texas Western coach Don Haskins led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship. Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.
Rob Brown plays Ernie Davis, while Dennis Quaid lends a supporting role as Coach Ben Schwartzwalder. For example, the film places the 1959 Penn State game in the first three of Syracuse's season, with Syracuse winning 32–6, when it was actually the seventh game and Syracuse had their toughest challenge of the season, winning The film premiered in cinemas on October 10, 2008 in wide release throughout the U.S.. During its opening weekend, the film opened in a distant 6th place grossing $4,562,675 in business showing at 2,808 locations. Excelling in high school football, Davis was later recruited by dozens of predominantly white universities. Bissinger's book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers. Then Ernie goes on to run his highschool football team to victories & Syracuse University to a National Championship title game in Texas, a bastion of prejudice in the deep south. A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship. The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit. The journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. We can't get enough of these LGBTQ+ powerhouse pairs.Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist.Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The premise of The Express is based on the true story of Ernie Davis, the charismatic athlete who became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, college football's greatest achievement. During the game on January 1, 1960, Davis boldly attempts to lead his team to victory but is hampered by an injured leg and biased officiating. The matchup concludes with a victory for Syracuse, and its first national championship. He gained more plaudits as the star of another sports biography in 2013, this time playing barrier-breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson in "42." Based on the story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who overcame long odds to play for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. This biopic focuses on the relationship of Ernie Davis (1939-1963), a gifted African-American athlete, and his coach from 1958 to 1962 at Syracuse University, Ben Schwartzwalder (1909-1993).
It tells the story of Ernie Davis, who was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy and his relationship with his coach, Ben Schwarzwalder.Looking for some great streaming picks? This biopic focuses on the relationship of Ernie Davis (1939-1963), a gifted African-American athlete, and his coach from 1958 to 1962 at Syracuse University, Ben Schwartzwalder (1909-1993).