Too bad. I was kinda looking forward to The Express. I’m a sucker for a good football movie and the life story of Ernie Davis is full of drama and ultimately, heartache. But there is evidently not enough truth in Davis’ life to keep Hollywood from just making stuff up.
The film reportedly shows Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy, being heckled by rabid racists during a trip to play in Morgantown, West Virginia in 1959. Except the Syracuse Orangemen did not play WVU in 1959 and Davis was not subjected to abuse when the team did play there in 1960.
Players from both teams confirm this, as do fans who attended the game. What I would like to see next is someone go to the newspaper accounts of the day for any sign of a racist reaction or taunts.
