Troy Davis (running back)

{{Infobox CFL player

|name = Troy Davis

|image =

|alt =

|caption =

|import = yes

|position1 = Running back

|number = 28, 32, 23

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|9|14|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|height_ft = 5

|height_in = 8

|weight_lb = 183

|high_school = Miami Southridge
(Miami, Florida)

|college = Iowa State

|NFLDraftedYear = 1997

|NFLDraftedRound = 3

|NFLDraftedPick = 62

|NFLDraftedTeam = New Orleans Saints

|playing_years1 = {{NFL Year|1997|1999}}

|playing_team1 = New Orleans Saints

|playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2001|2005}}

|playing_team2 = Hamilton Tiger-Cats

|playing_years3 = {{CFL Year|2005|2006}}

|playing_team3 = Edmonton Eskimos

|playing_years4 = {{CFL Year|2007}}

|playing_team4 = Toronto Argonauts

|career_highlights =

NCAA

2× Consensus All-American (1995, 1996)
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (1996)
First-team All-Big 12 (1996)
First-team All-Big 8 (1995)
Jim Brown Award (1996)
Chic Harley Award (1996)

CFL

Grey Cup champion (2005)

|CFLAllStar = {{CFL Year|2004}}

|CFLEastAllStar = {{CFL Year|2002|2004}}

|statlabel1 = Attempts

|statvalue1 = 150

|statlabel2 = Rushing yards

|statvalue2 = 446

|statlabel3 = Receptions

|statvalue3 = 36

|statlabel4 = Receiving yards

|statvalue4 = 237

|CFL-archive = https://web.archive.org/web/20150420233226/http://www.cfl.ca/roster/show/id/345

|CollegeHOF = 2395

}}

Troy Davis (born September 14, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones, finishing as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Davis twice earned consensus All-American honors and was the first and one of only two NCAA Division I-A running backs to rush for over 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. In 2016, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He played professionally for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, and was a member of the Eskimos' Grey Cup championship team in 2005.

Early life

Davis was born in Miami, Florida. He attended Miami Southridge High School, where he was a standout high school football player for the Southridge Spartans.

He became the first Dade County football player to ever rush for 2,000 yards.{{cite web|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/2016/09/03/troy-davis-enters-register-hall-fame/89783406/|title=Run to Glory: Troy Davis enters Register Hall of Fame|website=The Des Moines Register}}

He had offers to play at Florida and Florida State among others but eventually chose Iowa State.{{cite web|url=http://www.amestrib.com/sports/football-legend-almost-wasn-t-how-troy-davis-overcame-tough-freshman-year-become-all-american|title=Football: The legend that almost wasn't, how Troy Davis overcame a tough freshman year to become an All-American|access-date=2017-02-20|archive-date=2018-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020224620/http://www.amestrib.com/sports/football-legend-almost-wasn-t-how-troy-davis-overcame-tough-freshman-year-become-all-american|url-status=dead}}

College career

Davis attended Iowa State University, and played for the Iowa State Cyclones football team from 1994 to 1996. He played sparingly his freshman year under Jim Walden but flourished under new head coach Dan McCarney during Davis's final two seasons. Davis set numerous Cyclone team records, including most career rushing yards (4,382), total rushing yards in a single season (2,185), rushing yards in a game (378, vs. Missouri, rushing attempts in a game (53, vs. Northern Iowa, most rushing touchdowns in a game (5, vs. UNLV and vs. Northern Iowa), most 100-yard rushing games in a season (11) and career (21), most 200-yard rushing games in a season (5) and career (9), and most consecutive 100-yard rushing games (17, during 1995 and 1996 seasons), and most consecutive games scoring a touchdown (10, during 1995 and 1996 seasons).{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclones.com/news/2016/1/8/210620085.aspx|title=Troy Davis To Enter College Football Hall Of Fame}} He also held the Iowa State Cyclones football record for most career rushing touchdowns (36) and was tied for first for most career total touchdowns (38). He became the first running back in NCAA Division I-A (now Football Bowl Subdivision) history to gain 2,000 yards in two different seasons. During his three seasons at ISU, the Cyclones finished last in the Big Eight standings in his sophomore and junior seasons and last in the Big 12 North division standings his senior year.

In 1996, Davis was selected as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=2016 Big 12 Football |url=https://static.big12sports.com/custompages/pdfs/football/16guide/2016fbguide.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505042853/https://static.big12sports.com/custompages/pdfs/football/16guide/2016fbguide.pdf |archive-date=5 May 2022 |access-date=14 February 2023 |website=big12sports.com}} He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American at running back in 1995 and 1996.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/all-america-1990-1999.html|title=Consensus All-America Teams (1990-1999) - College Football at Sports-Reference.com}}

Davis finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1995.html|title=1995 Heisman Trophy Voting - College Football at Sports-Reference.com}} In 1996, he narrowly finished second to winner Danny Wuerffel. He won three out of four Heisman regions, but lost badly in the South region.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1996.html|title=1996 Heisman Trophy Voting - College Football at Sports-Reference.com}} He was also nosed out for the Doak Walker Award by another Big 12 running back, Byron Hanspard of Texas Tech.{{cite web|url=http://www.smu.edu/doakwalkeraward/|title=Doak Walker Award - SMU}} Hanspard edged Davis for the award despite Hanspard earning a 0.00 grade point average during his final season playing for Texas Tech.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

He did however win the Jim Brown Award and the Chic Harley Award given to the top running back and best college football player respectively.{{cite web|url=http://tdccolumbus.com/honorees.html|title=Past Honoreess :: Touchdown Club of Columbus}}

He was inducted into the Iowa State Hall of Fame in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/football/2016/09/13/former-cyclones-great-troy-davis-returns-ames/90296150/|title=Former Cyclones great Troy Davis returns to Ames|website=The Des Moines Register}}

Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.{{College Football HoF|id=2395}}

=College statistics=

colspan=3\|	colspan=4\| Rushing	colspan=3\|Receiving
class="wikitable" border="1"
Season	Team	GP	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	TD
style="text-align:center;" \| 1994	Iowa State	9	35	187	5.3	0	6	35	0
style="text-align:center;" \| 1995	Iowa State	11	345	2,010	5.8	15	14	159	1
style="text-align:center;" \| 1996	Iowa State	11	402	2,185	5.4	21	13	64	0
style="text-align:center;" !	Career ! 31	782	4,382	5.6	36	33	258	1
colspan="15" style="font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"\|Reference:{{cite web\|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/troy-davis-4.html\|title=Troy Davis College Stats - College Football at Sports-Reference.com}}

Professional career

Davis elected to forgo his senior season of eligibility and declared for the 1997 NFL draft. He was drafted in the third round (62nd overall) by the New Orleans Saints.{{Cite web |title=1997 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1997/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclones.com/sports/2015/3/2/GEN_20140101208.aspx|title=Troy Davis- Hall of Fame Class of 2007 - Iowa State Athletics}} During his three seasons with the Saints Davis started 11 games and rushed for 446 yards on 150 attempts.

Davis left the Saints after the 1999 season and was drafted by the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL, but was cut in training camp.{{cite web|url=http://www.neworleansprofootball.com/2002/07/where-are-they-now-1999-saints-part-one.html|title=Where Are They Now? The 1999 Saints - Part One}}

Davis then signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL as a running back and kick-returner for the 2001 season. In 2004, he led the league in rushing and set the franchise record with 1,656 yards.{{cite web|url=http://ticats.ca/the-all-rivalry-team-davis-bennett/|title=The All-Rivalry Team: Davis/Bennett - Hamilton Tiger-Cats}} He was traded mid-season in 2005 to the Edmonton Eskimos in exchange for a package headlined by Brock Ralph, Tay Cody, and the first overall draft pick in the 2006 Draft. He was able to play a key role in leading the Eskimos to winning the 93rd Grey Cup that year.{{cite web|url=http://www.esks.com/2009/07/05/lumsden-confident-he-ll-return-from-injury/|title=Lumsden confident he'll return from injury|date=5 July 2009}} On February 23, 2007, the Eskimos released Davis. He was later signed to the Toronto Argonauts practice roster on September 25, 2007. Davis was initially released by the Argonauts on October 17, 2007, but rejoined their practice roster on October 23, 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.argonauts.ca/2008/05/23/argos-and-community-warm-up-to-winters/|title=ARGOS AND COMMUNITY WARM UP TO WINTERS|date=23 May 2008}}

=NFL statistics=

colspan="4" \| ! colspan="6" \| Rushing ! colspan="4" \| Receiving ! colspan="1" \| Fumbles
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Team	{{tooltip\|GP\|Games played}}	{{tooltip\|GS\|Games started}}	{{tooltip\|Att\|Rushing attempts}}	{{tooltip\|Yds\|Rushing yards}}	{{tooltip\|Avg\|Yards per rushing attempt}}	{{tooltip\|YdsG\|Yards per game}}	{{tooltip\|Lng\|Longest rushing attempt}}	{{tooltip\|TD\|Rushing touchdowns}}	{{tooltip\|Rec\|Receptions}}	{{tooltip\|Yds\|Receiving yards}}	{{tooltip\|Lng\|Longest reception}}	{{tooltip\|TD\|Receiving touchdowns}}	{{tooltip\|Fum\|Fumbles}}
1997	NO	16	7	75	271	3.6	16.9	20	-	13	85	18	-	3
1998	NO	14	2	55	143	2.6	10.2	14	1	16	99	19	-	1
1999	NO	16	2	20	32	1.6	2.0	7	-	7	53	20	-	1
class="sortbottom" style="background:#eee;" !colspan="2"\|Career ! 46	11	150	446	3.0	9.7	20	1	36	237	20	-	5
colspan="15" style="font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"\|Reference:{{cite web\|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DaviTr00.htm?redir\|title=Troy Davis Stats - Pro-Football-Reference.com\|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}

=CFL statistics=

colspan="3" \| ! colspan="6" \| Rushing ! colspan="3" \| Receiving
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Team	{{tooltip\|GP\|Games played}}	{{tooltip\|Att\|Rushing attempts}}	{{tooltip\|Yds\|Rushing yards}}	{{tooltip\|Avg\|Yards per rushing attempt}}	{{tooltip\|YdsG\|Yards per game}}	{{tooltip\|Lng\|Longest rushing attempt}}	{{tooltip\|TD\|Rushing touchdowns}}	{{tooltip\|Rec\|Receptions}}	{{tooltip\|Yds\|Receiving yards}}	{{tooltip\|TD\|Receiving touchdowns}}
2001	HAM	18	96	527	5.5	29.3	75	6	14	122	-
2002	HAM	18	230	1,143	5.0	63.5	74	6	27	221	1
2003	HAM	18	227	1,206	5.3	67.0	34	5	40	458	-
2004	HAM	18	324	1,628	5.0	90.4	58	10	40	250	-
2005	HAM		176	792	4.5	44.0	54	3	25	142	-
2005	EDM		64	359	5.6	19.9	30	2	17	157	-
2006	EDM	18	190	1,060	5.6	58.9	44	4	67	546	-
2007	TOR	18	6	24	4.0	1.3	10	-	-	-	-
class="sortbottom" style="background:#eee;" !colspan="2"\|Career ! 144	1,313	6,739	5.1	46.8	75	36	230	1,896	1
colspan="12" style="font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"\|Reference:{{cite web\|url=http://www.totalfootballstats.com/PlayerRB.asp?id=965\|title=Troy Davis College & Pro Football Statistics - Totalfootballstats.com}}

Personal life

Davis is the brother of Darren Davis, who played running back at Iowa State beginning in Troy's final season until 1999. Darren ran for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons before ending his career second in career rushing yards behind his older brother.