Anthony Davis (running back, born 1952) facts for kids

Anthony Davis (born September 8, 1952), also known as "A.D.", is an American former professional football player. He was a talented running back. He played in four professional leagues: the World Football League (WFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL), and United States Football League (USFL).

Davis played college football and baseball at the University of Southern California (USC). He was part of five national championship teams. Two of these were in football and three in baseball.

College Football Career

Anthony Davis was a top college football player. He was named an All-American in 1974. For three years in a row, he led the USC Trojans in rushing yards. He also led in points scored and kick return yards.

Memorable Games Against Notre Dame

Davis is famous for scoring 11 touchdowns in just three games against Notre Dame. In a game on December 2, 1972, USC won 45–23. Davis scored six touchdowns in that game. This set a new school record for most touchdowns in one game.

Two of his touchdowns in that game came from kickoff returns. He returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Later, he returned another kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. In this game, he had 218 yards from three kickoff returns. This was an amazing average of 72.7 yards per return. It set an NCAA record for the highest average gain per return in a single game.

Career Records and Achievements

During his time at USC, Davis returned 37 kickoffs for 1,299 yards. His average of 35.1 yards per return was an NCAA record. He also set an NCAA record with six career kickoff returns for touchdowns. This record stood until 2009.

In 1974, Davis had the highest kickoff return average for any single season leader ever, at 42.5 yards. He was also the first player in the Pacific-8 Conference to rush for over 1,000 yards in three seasons. He rushed for 1,191 yards in 1972, 1,112 in 1973, and 1,469 in 1974.

Overall, at USC, he carried the ball 784 times for 3,772 yards. He also scored 44 touchdowns. He was chosen for the First-team All-Pac-8 Conference twice. Davis also won the W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy in 1972 and 1974. This award goes to the best football player on the Pacific Coast.

The 1974 Notre Dame Comeback

On November 30, 1974, Davis helped USC make an incredible comeback. They were losing 24–0 to #4 ranked Notre Dame. Just before halftime, he scored a touchdown.

To start the second half, he returned a kickoff 102 yards for another touchdown. He scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter. He even added a two-point conversion. Incredibly, Davis scored 26 of USC's first 27 points, helping them win 55–24.

Heisman Trophy and Team Success

In 1974, Davis finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Heisman Trophy is given to the most outstanding player in college football.

From 1972 to 1974, with Davis as the tailback, the Trojans had a great record of 31 wins, 3 losses, and 2 ties. They won three conference titles and two Rose Bowl games. They also won two national championships. Davis set 24 school, conference, and NCAA records. He gained over 5,400 all-purpose yards and scored 52 touchdowns.

College Baseball Career

Anthony Davis was not just a football star. He was also a successful baseball player. He played as an outfielder and switch-hitter for USC's baseball teams. These teams won the College World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974.

In 1974, he hit .273 with six home runs. He also had 45 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Davis is the only player in USC history to start for a national champion football team (1972) and a national champion baseball team (1974).

Hall of Fame Recognition

On November 27, 2004, the Notre Dame vs. USC game was called "Anthony Davis Day." This was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his record-breaking game.

Davis was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine three times. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Professional Football Career

The Minnesota Twins baseball team drafted Davis in 1975. However, he decided to play professional football instead.

World Football League (WFL)

The New York Jets drafted Davis in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft. But Davis chose to play for the Southern California Sun in the new World Football League (WFL) in 1975. He signed a big five-year deal worth $1.7 million.

He led the WFL in rushing with 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also caught 40 passes for 381 yards and one touchdown. On kickoff returns, he gained 235 yards and scored one touchdown. In total, he scored 18 touchdowns in the WFL. The league stopped playing in October, and Davis moved on.

Canadian Football League (CFL)

In 1976, Davis joined the Canadian Football League. He played for the Toronto Argonauts. He rushed for 417 yards and caught 37 passes for 408 yards. He scored four touchdowns. Davis later said he wasn't happy playing for the Argonauts.

National Football League (NFL)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the NFL rights to Davis. His old USC coach, John McKay, was coaching the Buccaneers. However, Davis's NFL career was not as successful. In eleven games for the Bucs in 1977, he rushed for 297 yards and scored one touchdown.

In 1978, Davis played two games for the Houston Oilers. He then played two games for the Los Angeles Rams, rushing for seven yards.

United States Football League (USFL)

In 1983, Davis played briefly for the Los Angeles Express in the new USFL. He rushed for 32 yards in twelve attempts.

After Football

After his football career, Anthony Davis became a successful real estate developer in the 1980s and early 1990s. He also had small roles in movies and on television.

In 1990, Davis played professional baseball again. He joined the San Bernardino Pride club in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He played as an outfielder. The league ended early in December.

In 2020, he was featured in a documentary called "Quiet Explosions: Healing the Brain." The film talks about brain health.

See also

• List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders