In an age when we are required by law to see at least two inspirational sports films released a year (We Are Marshall, Coach Carter, Glory Road, Remember The Titans, The Rookie, etc.), it would seem like the story of Ernie Davis would be prime material for Hollywood. And Hollywood would agree. Variety reported yesterday that Dennis Quaid will star in The Express, a Universal film about Syracuse legend Ernie Davis, who as all Syracuse fans are required to know was the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy and also led the Orange(men) to thier only National Championship after the 1959 season. Davis sadly never played one down of NFL football as he developed leukemia and died shortly thereafter.
Dennis Quaid has signed on to play famed Coach Ben Schwartzwalder while the casting of Davis is still being determined. Some early thoughts on who could play Davis? Dennis Haysbert looks like what Ernie might have looked had he lived to se 40. As for younger guys like fit the mold, how bout Derek Luke?
My darkhorse pick...Tiki Barber. He doesn't look anything like Ernie but 99.9% of Americans don't know that. He's dying to get into acting, he's a running back...I'm just sayin'...