Davis put Titans on the map

Harold Davis waged many breath-taking battles during his star-studded career at Westminster College. Not many of those heated confrontations wound up on the short end of the final count either. He was that good, a talented-super athlete in all aspects of the game.

In fact, he may be one of the greatest athletes in Westminster sports history. Those that knew him and saw him perform will attest to that fact.

Davis, one of four gentlemen from Westminster ever inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., recently fought his final battle, succumbing to a long-time bout with cancer.

That was one of the few skirmishes he ever lost. He died on Sunday, Dec. 9, at his home in Bloomfield, Mich.

Davis carved his name in Titan sports history from 1953-56, about the time I graduated from high school.

The talk of the county at that time, however, was about Harold Davis. “Who is this guy down at Westminster who has been sparking the Titans to such great football victories?”

Fans wanted to know more about this young man who had a way about him of filling up the sports pages each weekend with his sterling exploits on the football field.

Playing for Coach Harold Burry (an inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996), Davis was scintillating. He became the first and only three-time, first-team All-America football player in school history.

Davis played during a span in sports history when African-Americans rarely played the position of quarterback.

He led the Titans to an overall record of 28-1-1 including the first undefeated seasons in school history in 1953 (8-0), 1955 (6-1-1) and 1956 (8-0).

That was a remarkable run, for a remarkable young man who knew how to win football games. And coach, Burry, too, knew how to win games and together they made for a dynamic duo.

Davis, a native of Youngstown, played his high school ball at North High School. His talents were not confined to the football field as he was a standout in basketball and track.

He totaled 1,209 points for the Titans, a mark that ranks 19th on the school’s all-time scoring chart.

Following graduation at Westminster in 1957, with a degree in economics, Davis was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. He turned down the offer to join the U.S. Army.

He later taught and coached while serving as an administrator in the Youngstown Public School District.

He served as an executive for the Xerox Corporation for 22 years. A resident of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., he was president of H&S Consulting during his retirement years.

Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in August 2004 along with players such as Darrell Green (Texas A&I), Jimbo Covert (Pitt), Joe Theisman (Notre Dame) and Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State).

He was the fourth Westminster individual inducted into College Football Hall of Fame, joining Burry (Class of 1996), former linebacker/lineman Larry Pugh (1998) and former head coach, Joe Fusco (01).

Our sincere sympathy to Harold’s many friends and associates and to his wife of 49 years, Shirley (Clarett), sons H. Wade and Michael, three grandsons, brother Frank Davis and sister Ann White.