Webshe and ernie were never officially engaged, although they'd started to talk about marriage. Helen describes herself as a person of faith, and she accepts. Webexcerpt from the documentary the legend of 44 about the death of heisman trophy winning running back ernie davis. Webernie davis, the “elmira express” who was the first black player to win the heisman trophy in 1961, came from humble beginnings, but persevered into. Weband perhaps most telling of what people thought of ernie davis, the person, the browns retired his jersey number 45, despite the fact he never played a down in. Webacross the candlelit table from her at the tippin’ inn in syracuse, n. y. , was her steady boyfriend, ernie davis, a recent college graduate himself. It was a familiar. Webernie davis never got his shot.