The Express Page #9

Me and Jim Brown in

the same backfield.

You're gonna steal

his number again?

Oh. Oh.

Stop it.

I don't want to leave.

You don't have to leave.

I do.

I should bring you with me.

Just jump in my suitcase.

You know you can fit.

Oh.

Oh, no.

- Oh, I slipped.

I'm sorry.

That was a mistake,

too. I'm sorry.

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

I have to get

you a new blouse.

Look at you.

What are you doing?

He's at the 10.

The 20, the 30...

The 40...

Is that another nose bleed?

You know, Hound Dog

says he gets hit so hard,

he wakes up with

blood on his pillow.

Doesn't even know

where it came from.

But you haven't been hit.

Ernie, you haven't

been hit. What...

Bus leaves for practice

in a half hour.

Be here when I get back?

I'll be here.

Right two to Maury,

right two to Maury.

Set? Go.

Stop.

Change your block,

change your block.

Behind me, the

East team led by

Syracuse's Ben Schwartzwalder.

Ernie Davis goes

through the paces...

in preparation for Saturday

night's All-America game.

Davis look a little

sluggish to you?

He'll be fine.

Tight right,

Come on.

- Break.

Okie. Okie.

Watch. Strong left.

Strong left.

Right.

Six box.

Six box. Set.

Hut. Hut.

All right, let's run

it again. Let's go.

It's all right.

You'll get them

next time. Come on.

Ernie?

Ernie? You okay?

He's got to have

another transfusion.

He's lost quite

a lot of blood.

How'd he do that?

- We're not sure.

He's gonna need

further tests.

So test.

- Gentlemen.

Now what am I supposed

to tell the press?

Mumps.

- What?

He's got a bad

case of the mumps.

That's good.

Double tight.

Double tight. Down.

Set.

Blue 3-21.

Blue 3-21.

Hut. Hut.

Hey, Ernie.

The man wants to see you.

All right, get back.

- Let's go.

Hey.

Hey, Mr. Modell.

Hey.

- How are you?

I'm good. I've been

watching you.

I'm still trying to

find my rhythm out there.

You know, new system and all.

- Yeah, listen, Ernie.

All I need is some rest.

- Yeah, the system is...

Once I get used to it...

All right.

Ernie, Ernie, Ernie.

I spoke with

Dr. Hewlett and...

Look, he doesn't know

what it is, but...

they know something's

not right, Ernie.

I should have told

you earlier, kid.

I really can't clear

you for practice.

If I can't practice,

how am I gonna play?

You're not gonna

play. Not now.

And maybe not this season.

Well, when?

I don't know.

I don't know, kid.

Get better, okay?

Your job is to get well.

Mr. Modell,

you don't understand.

Everything I got is

because of football.

I need to play.

Yeah.

Mr. Modell, please, sir.

Next year, kid. We're counting

on you next year. Really.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Did you hear back from

the teaching job yet?

Well?

They offered it to me.

That's great.

I told them I had

to think about it.

What's to think about?

The distance between

Cleveland and Oakland for one.

Take it.

What?

Take the job, Sarah.

You've always said you want...

to do something

with your life.

You didn't just come to

school just to find a husband.

You're beautiful, smart.

Stick to that dream.

How sick are you, Ernie?

Look at me.

Sarah...

Ernie Davis?

I hate to disturb

you, but would...

you sign an

autograph for my son?

He's 12, and you're

his favorite player.

Gonna be great to see

you with the Browns.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Leukemia.

It's a word that

jumps out at you.

I know when I first

heard it myself.

I was...

I was scared.

But I got a lot of

people in my corner,

good people,

standing beside me.

My doctors are confident.

They tell me I'm responding

well to my treatment.

So, things are good.

And you know me. I'm an

optimist. I'm gonna fight it.

I hope to get on that

field and see...

you all in that

press box real soon.

Real soon.

Mr. Davis, Tom Martin,

Saturday Evening Post.

I saw you play in the

Cotton Bowl two years ago.

Okay.

I'm wondering if you'd like

to write an article for us.

You want me to

write an article?

I don't know whether

you know this,

but you're an inspiration

to a lot of our readers.

There he is,

number 77.

He's as good as me?

Maybe better.

Hey, Ernie.

Ernie, this is Floyd Little.

Floyd, this is...

Ernie Davis.

You good at math, huh?

You see, my plan

is to be just like you,

best Negro running

back in the NCAA.

Heisman Trophy all the way.

Then the NFL,

make some money.

You got it all

figured out, don't you?

What kind of bottle

do you think this is?

Don't know.

Don't have a label.

Right.

It could be a soda bottle,

it could be a beer bottle,

it could be anything.

No label.

You see, I never set out to be

the best Negro running back.

I just wanted to be

the best running back.

The best football player

I could be. Period.

Look, now I'm...

Floyd, I'm never gonna

play for Cleveland.

Or any other team.

My playing days are over.

So don't you look

at that poster...

of me on your wall

and tell me...

you want to be like me,

because that isn't enough.

You're gonna have to

do better than that.

You think you can?

Yes, sir.

Good.

But the thing is, I told Notre

Dame I would sign with them.

Floyd, you know how Notre

Dame loves their passing game.

My fear is a talented

runner like yourself...

may get stuck polishing that

Notre Dame bench

with your butt.

You don't want that.

I want to know something.

Coach?

What the hell did you

say to Floyd Little?

Why? What happened?

Well, I'll be damned,

he backed out on Notre Dame.

He's coming to Syracuse.

Well, let's see. I told him

you like your runners lazy,

and you like players

who backtalk.

Mmm-hmm.

Anything else?

I told him you

were a good coach.

I'm not gonna

lie to him, Ernie,

because I know how hard

it's gonna be for him.

And I promise,

if he works hard,

he can run for that

end zone whether...

he's in Boston or Mississippi.

And I won't tell him that

he's the next Ernie Davis,

because there won't

be another Ernie Davis.

Can you believe they

suited me up...

to run on the field

and take a bow?

I'll be right

here with you, son.

Please welcome to the field,

number 45, from Syracuse

at halfback, Ernie Davis.

Mr. Martin, in the end...

it turns out you

did me a favor...

when you asked me to

write this for The Post.

You see, yesterday

was my 23rd birthday,

and compared to some,

that doesn't seem...

like a whole lot of

life to talk about.

Thing is, I don't know how

much more is in front of me.

And as you see from the number...

of pages, if you've

read this far.

I did have a few

things to say,

and I'm not sure

how to end this...

or even if I want to.

It's funny. Most

people think my...

life has been all

about football.

I've even thought

that myself.

But football is just a game.

What matters is

what you play for.

Sometimes, when the

game is close...

and everything is on the line,

that's when you forget

the crowd and the noise.

That's when it's

just you against...

somebody else to see

who is the better man.

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