Washington Redskins & Cleveland Browns Len Bias

[hogs87]

I went on NFL.com and saw all the #1 over all picks ever drafted and I came across Ernie Davis name, who was drafted #1 over all by the Washington Redskins. I have not had the pleasure of seeing the movie based on his college career YET, but just like Len Bias, it was speculations that he was going to be the greatest running back ever, But his rights were traded to the Cleveland Browns and he died that summer before he could even play professional football.

I was wondering if you can compare or contrast this tragedy to Len Bias and I wanted you guys to try to guess what type of pro football career he would've had.

[Ryman of the North]

If I were the browns I would NEVER trade with the skins again.

Mike Oliphant for Earnest Byner and Trading Davis for mitchell was another lucky trade. Davis passing from cancer was sad tho.

[TC4]

Sorry, but I have to take a negative tone here to say that I think it is unfair ro compare the death of Ernie Davis to the death of Len Bias

Let's be real here, Ernie Davis died from leukemia, while Len Bias died from something he had total control over, a cocaine overdose

[Spaceman Spiff]

TK is right, there's no real comparison here.

Both go down as big time "What if?" stories...but for very different reasons.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Sorry, but I have to take a negative tone here to say that I think it is unfair ro compare the death of Ernie Davis to the death of Len Bias

Let's be real here, Ernie Davis died from leukemia, while Len Bias died from something he had total control over, a cocaine overdose

People make mistakes. Especially when they're young. Both are a tragedy.

[rtandler]

Davis wouldn't even have been the best back on his own team as Jim Brown was the incumbent.

The trade of Davis to the Browns for Bobby Mitchell was prearranged before the draft. The Redskins had to employ a black player as the feds weren't going to let them play at DC Stadium if they didn't. But Davis wasn't up for being a pioneer and he did have the option of playing in the American Football League.

Since the draft was held prior to the end of the regular season then, the deal couldn't be announced immediately. When it did come out just before the last game of the season, the trade officially was Davis for a player to be named later, although everyone knew that that was Mitchell.

[RFKFedEx]

Mr. Tandler is the commissioner of Redskins history.

[Peeping Wizard]

The Celtics would have been absurd had Bias lived.

[LoveDaSkins172645]

Both would have rewritten the record books, Jim Brown and Ernie Davis in the same back field would have been amazing. I think also had Len Bias lived I don't think Micheal Jordan would have been praised as he is. Len Bias was a sick freak on the BBall court, he was the Sean Taylor of basketball. IMO.....

[REDALERT]

I agree that Brown and Davis in the same backfield would have been a 2 headed monster. But Davis IMO wasn't as gifted as Jim Brown was just from watching the movie "The express".

Len Bias was a freak of nature and I had the pleasure of watching him play at Maryland University and around the D.C/Maryland area basketball courts in pick up games. Alot of us that knew Lenny and watched him play was witnessing the truth right before our eyes and cried in disbelief after his sudden death. But his death also put the Celtics Organization behind like 10 years and was the leading force in congress on setting control substance laws during the 80's. The way he died not only affected the D.C /Maryland area, it devasted the entire country and made congress tighten up on drug pushers in urban communities.

[MumboSauce]

I'm not going to judge what Ernie Davis may have been based on seeing a movie, and that's pretty much all I know of him. Was a good but sad story. I was pretty young with the whole Len Bias thing, another tragedy. But from those I spoke with that were a little older than me, Len Bias was like Jordan who? like the dude was that good. Things happen for a reason though and Jordan certainly didn't disappoint.