Raymond Lamar "Racehorse" Davis (June 15, 1921 – February 23, 2008) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player. He played professionally in the

All-America Football Conference The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...

(AAFC) with the

Miami Seahawks The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in the league's inaugural season, 1946, before the team was relocated to Baltimore. They are notable ...

in 1946 and the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

from 1947 to 1949.

Biography

Lamar Davis was born in

Brunswick, Georgia Brunswick ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Glynn County, Georgia, Glynn County in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As the primary urban and economic center of the lower southeast portion of Georgia, it is the second-larges ...

, where he attended

Glynn Academy Glynn Academy (GA) is an American public high school in Brunswick, Georgia, Brunswick, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, enrolling 1,900 students in grades ninth grade, 9–twelfth grade, 12. Along with Brunswick High School (Georgia), ...

."Colts Profiles: Lamar R. (Racehorse) Davis," in ''Baltimore Colts vs. Frisco Forty-Niners, Oct. 10.'' Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Colts Football Club, Inc., 1948, p. 11. He went to college at the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

and played for the

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

from 1940 until 1942. He was also a sprinter on the Georgia track and field team. He was a member of the 1942 Georgia team that won the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

(SEC) title and a

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

. His catch that season of a 65-yard touchdown pass thrown by

Frank Sinkwich Frank Francis Sinkwich Sr. (October 10, 1920 – October 22, 1990) was a Croatian American football player and coach. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1942 while playing for the Georgia Bulldogs, making him the first recipient from the Southeastern ...

as the final gun sounded to help Georgia beat Auburn. Davis, nicknamed "Racehorse",
University of Georgia was drafted by the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

in the second round with the 12th overall pick of the 1943 NFL draft before they merged with the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

to become the so-called "

Steagles The Steagles, officially known as the Phil-Pitt Combine, was the team created by the temporary merger of Pennsylvania's two National Football League (NFL) teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season. The tw ...

." He did not play for that team, however."Lamar Davis,"
Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com/ Davis' career was interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and he did not play professional football from 1942 through 1945. He returned in 1946 to play for the

of the

and later for their successor organization, the first

. He was one of the few players from the Miami team that were retained by the new Colts organization. Listed at 6'1" and 185 pounds, he played on offense and defense scoring numerous touchdowns as a receiver and making several interceptions as a pro. Davis resided in

St. Simons Island St. Simons Island (or simply St. Simons) is a barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. The names of the community and the island are interchangeable, known simply as ...

, Georgia, where he operated a business. Davis was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Lamar 1921 births 2014 deaths American football ends Georgia Bulldogs football players Miami Seahawks players Baltimore Colts (1947–1950) players Players of American football from Brunswick, Georgia Sportspeople from St. Simons, Georgia