We are 41 days away from college football kickoff. Today, we have Glenn Davis one of the greatest players to play for Army. Also, might be one of the greatest college football players ever. Enjoy his story! Be sure to check back tomorrow for #40 in our countdown to kickoff.
Glenn Davis (41) Days Away From College Football Kickoff
Mr. Outside
Glenn Davis is considered one of the greatest college football players ever. He won Army’s second Heisman Trophy and led the Knights to a 9-0-1 record and a No. 2 national ranking.
At West Point, Davis started as a fullback during his freshman year under coach Earl Blaik, then switched to halfback for his next three seasons while Doc Blanchard played fullback. Together, they became one of the best backfields in football history. Davis earned the nickname “Mr. Outside” and Blanchard was called “Mr. Inside.”
As a sophomore in 1944, Davis set NCAA records by averaging 11.5 yards per carry and scoring 20 touchdowns in nine games. In a standout game against Navy, he ran for a 52-yard touchdown and made an interception that stopped Navy from scoring. Army won 23-7. Davis received the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Trophy as player of the year, and finished second in Heisman voting, with Blanchard in third.
Many consider the 1945 Army team one of the best ever. That year, Davis improved his average to 11.51 yards per carry and scored 18 touchdowns in nine games. He had another big game against Navy, running for touchdowns of 33 and 49 yards. Army won 32-13. Despite Davis’s strong season, Blanchard won the Heisman and Davis finished second.
As a senior in 1946, Davis was less explosive but still impressive. He scored 13 touchdowns, rushed for 712 yards, caught 20 passes for 348 yards, and passed for 396 yards with four touchdowns. Davis won the Heisman over Georgia’s Charlie Trippi, while Blanchard finished fifth.
With Davis and Blanchard, Army had a 27-0-1 record from 1944 to 1946 and won three national championships. Davis graduated as Army’s all-time leading rusher with 2,957 yards and still holds the NCAA record for career yards per carry at 8.3. He was a key part of three straight championship teams and set six other Academy football records, plus two in track and field.
Davis ended his career with school records of 59 touchdowns, 354 points, and 5,161 all-purpose yards. He earned 10 varsity letters at West Point: four in football, three in baseball, two in track and field, and one in basketball. Davis may have been the fastest of the early Heisman winners, running the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds. Some people thought track could have been his best sport if he had focused on it. In 1947, he ran a 60-yard dash in 6.1 seconds at Madison Square Garden, beating Barney Ewell, who later won a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 1948 London Olympics.
Another highlight of Davis’s athletic career happened later that spring. He played a full baseball game for Army in center field and got a couple of hits. Afterwards, he hurried to the track, borrowed some shoes, and won the 100-yard dash in 9.7 seconds. He later won the 220-yard dash in an academy-record 20.9 seconds.
Davis served in the Army in Korea until 1950. He resigned his commission to join the Los Angeles Rams and played on two championship teams. Injuries cut his career short; however, Davis turned to public relations and promotions for the Los Angeles Times’ special events department, with the primary goal of raising money for youth activities.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: Heisman
