Dave Mays facts for kids

David W. Mays III was born on June 20, 1949. He is a former American football player who played as a quarterback. He played college football for Texas Southern University. After college, he played professionally in the World Football League (WFL) in 1974. He then joined the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, playing for the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.

Playing Professional Football

Dave Mays started his professional football journey in 1974. He played in the World Football League for the Houston Texans and the Shreveport Steamer. Later, he moved to the National Football League.

Mays Joins the Cleveland Browns

In 1976, Dave Mays joined the Cleveland Browns. He became known for a special game on October 10, 1976. The Browns were playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their starting quarterback, Brian Sipe, had to leave the game.

Mays was the third-string quarterback at the time. This meant he was usually a backup player. He had never played in an NFL regular season game before. But he stepped in and led the Browns to an exciting 18–16 victory. This was a big moment in his NFL career.

Later NFL Teams

After his time with the Cleveland Browns, Dave Mays also played for the Buffalo Bills. He continued his career as a quarterback in the NFL.

Life After Football

Even while playing football for the Browns, Dave Mays was also a dentist. He had earned a degree to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery. After his football career, he worked as a dentist for 20 years. He practiced dentistry in the Greater Cleveland area.