Tony Davis (running back)

{{Short description|American football player (born 1953)}}

{{about||the football defensive back|Tony Davis (cornerback)|other running backs with a similar name|Anthony Davis (disambiguation)#Sports}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image = Tony Davis 1982 (cropped).png

| caption = Davis, {{Circa|1982}}

| name = Tony Davis

| number = 35, 25, 27

| position = Running back

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|1|21}}

| birth_place = Tecumseh, Nebraska, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lbs = 212

| high_school = Tecumseh (NE){{Cite web|title=Tecumseh wins in 4 overtimes|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/886119219/?match=1&terms=%22tony%20davis%22|access-date=2024-12-31|website=Omaha World-Herald|language=en-US}}

| college = Nebraska

| draftyear = 1976

| draftround = 4

| draftpick = 106

| teams =

• Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1976|1978}})
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1979|1981}})
• Portland Breakers ({{USFL Year|1983}})

| highlights =

• MVP: 1974 Cotton Bowl, 1974 Sugar Bowl (Dec)
• Cincinnati Bengals team MVP, 1977
• Second-team All-Big Eight (1975)
• Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame, 1989
• Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, 2025

| statlabel1 = Rushing att-yards

| statvalue1 = 91-345

| statlabel2 = Receptions-yards

| statvalue2 = 27-250

| statlabel3 = Total TDs

| statvalue3 = 6

| pfr = DaviTo00

}}

Michael Eugene "Tony" Davis (born January 21, 1953) is an American former professional football running back in the National Football League (NFL). Davis played both I-back and fullback for new head coach Tom Osborne at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

From Tecumseh, Nebraska, southeast of Lincoln, Davis was Osborne's first 1,000-yard rusher (as a sophomore in 1973) and left as the Cornhuskers' all-time leading rusher. He was the Most Valuable Player in two of college football's major bowl games in the same calendar year (1974); the Cotton Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns (19–3) on New Year's Day as a sophomore, and Sugar Bowl win on New Year's Eve over the Florida Gators (13–10). He was elected to the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

In the 1976 NFL draft, Davis was selected in the fourth round (106th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played six seasons in the NFL, three each for the Bengals (1976–1978) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1979–1981). In his second year in 1977, Davis was the Bengals' team MVP, selected by a vote of players and fans. He also played one season (1983) for the Boston Breakers of the USFL.

Since his retirement as a player, Davis has worked as a football assistant at Nebraska, coached high school football in Colorado, and now works in business development in the oil & gas industry. Currently, he is an advocate who works in communication with Congress to address issues prevalent to retired NFL players.