Eric Davis played college ball at a small school, but he ended up as a second-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 1990.
It wasn’t luck that landed Davis with the defending world champions.
The corner more than held his own at Jackson State, then proved himself as one of the best in the business in the NFL.
No more talk. No more maybes. Today you take it. @49ers #ninergang #faithful #damndudes #Legendary pic.twitter.com/BjBJfgkhaL
— Eric Davis (@_ericdavis_) January 19, 2020
By the end of his sixth pro season, Davis was a Super Bowl champion, an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler.
He then signed a free-agent deal with the Carolina Panthers, where he was again selected as an All-Pro and for his second Pro Bowl.
Following the conclusion of the 2002 season, Davis, then a member of the Detroit Lions, retired after 13 years.
He then pivoted to media work and did well until getting fired by ESPN and the NFL Network in 2017 due to sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
Davis was cleared of all charges in 2020 and, in 2025, returned to Jackson State as the football program’s Director of Player Development.
This is the story of Eric Davis.
3-Sport Star for Anniston
Eric Wayne Davis was born on January 26, 1968, in Anniston, Alabama.
Anniston may be a small town, but Davis played with a big heart, despite his own small stature at the time.
Just a little over five and a half feet tall and nearly 140 pounds, Davis conquered opponents on the gridiron, hardwood and track for the Bulldogs.
“I had very strong parents that always taught us that nothing can make you feel inferior without your permission,” Davis said in 2008.
During football season, Davis was Anniston’s quarterback and corner.
Greatest #GroupofFive Players of All Time 🏈
Jacksonville State: Eric Davis, CB (1986-89)
High School: Anniston High School (Anniston, AL)
Gulf South Champion ('89)
NCAA Division II All-American ('89)
NCAA Division II national runner-up ('89)
Super Bowl champion ('95)
2x NFL… pic.twitter.com/iHhTscHIvv— stadiumtalkcom (@stadiumtalkcom) September 8, 2023
When it came time for basketball, he was a two-year starter and excelled on the track team.
Davis’s last two years of football for the Bulldogs were rough, as evidenced by the team’s 2-16 combined record.
Still, he showed just enough promise as a first-team All-County pick that nearby Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools, such as Mississippi, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, reached out.
The problem was that all those schools wanted him to play receiver, and Davis preferred corner, his favorite position.
Davis Chooses Jacksonville State
One day after practice as a senior, a coach from Division II Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Alabama, stopped by to see Davis.
To give Gamecocks assistant coach Roland Houston a good look at his player’s athleticism, Davis was summoned by his prep coach, Johnny Ingram, for a challenge.
What Houston witnessed changed the course of Davis’s life.
“We brought Eric over and had him jump flat-footed over the restraining fence around the football field,” Ingram said. “Roland’s eyes got very large, and from that time on, Jacksonville State was very interested in him. That was an incredible feat. I’ve never seen anybody do that before or since.”
Gamecocks head coach Bill Burgess heard about Davis’s leap and offered him an opportunity.
He would give Davis a chance to play corner, but if he failed, he too would switch the kid to receiver.
Also, the SEC schools recruiting Davis said they planned to redshirt him.
Eric Davis – Jacksonville State University pic.twitter.com/dYDFplqBNK
— Todd Brooks (@brooks_todd) July 18, 2023
Burgess, on the other hand, gave him an opening.
“Coach Burgess said, ‘Eric, if you’re good enough to play as a freshman, you’re going to play,’” Davis said. “‘If you’re not, I’m going to redshirt you.’ “Guess What? That’s all I could ask for.”
Division II or not, Davis signed with Burgess and the Gamecocks.
Earning His Stripes
Burgess was true to his word.
Davis lived up to his billing as a corner and played significant minutes for the 5-4-1 Gamecocks in 1986 as a freshman.
He continued to play well in 1987 as Jacksonville State repeated a 5-4-1 record.
The corner earned two varsity letters and became a dependable asset for the program.
In 1988, the Gamecocks finally played up to their potential, going 10-1 during the regular season, then losing to Portland State in the Division II quarterfinals.
Great quote from Gamecock and former NFL Star Eric Davis about Gamecock Football. “JSU has a standard second to none. During an interview my rookie season with then SB Champs 49ers, I was asked how was the transition for college to the pros. I told the r… https://t.co/KegEQuSYB2 pic.twitter.com/dK4kCf2fM1
— Jacksonville State J Club (@JSU_JCLUB) May 2, 2018
Following the season, Dallas Cowboys scout Dave Campo stopped by the campus to watch film and couldn’t take his eyes off Davis.
Campo asked Burgess for a meeting with the underclassman and shared with Davis his thoughts on the future.
“We talked about the film, and we talked about what I was doing,” said Davis. “After 15 or 20 minutes, he said, ‘You know, this is the thing. I can’t tell you what round you’d be drafted in, but I can say, if this was your senior year, you’d get a chance.’”
More NFL Interest
Campo promised to return after Davis’s senior year in 1989, but by then, he had caught the eye of other NFL clubs.
The Washington Redskins flew down to Jacksonville State to meet with Davis.
So did San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Ray Rhodes.
Rhodes had Davis work out for him and liked what he saw.
“I was very impressed at the workout,” said Rhodes, a future NFL head coach. “Very competitive guy. Very competitive and tough. He had great ball skills. He had good speed, and he would come up and tackle you. I went back to the organization and said, ‘Hey, we found a player.’”
Senior Year
Now that he knew the NFL was watching, Davis upped his game even more as a senior.
In 1989, Jacksonville State went undefeated in the regular season and led the Gulf South Conference in passing defense.
Davis was the key cog for the secondary and had a monster year, tallying 51 combined tackles, eight passes broken up, and no less than six interceptions.
He was named first-team All-Gulf South and continued hounding offenses in the Division II playoffs.
In the First Round, Jacksonville State beat Alabama A&M 33-9, then North Dakota State in the Quarterfinal, 21-17.
Jacksonville State has added Eric Davis, a standout at Anniston High, Jax State and the NFL, to its football staff as the director of player development. Davis played in the NFL in 1990-2002 and helped the 49ers win a Super Bowl.https://t.co/qgTuJfNa2r
— Anniston Star Jax State (@StarJaxState) January 29, 2025
After knocking off Angelo State 34-16 in the Semifinal round, it was on to the Division II National Championship game against Mississippi College.
The Choctaws pulled off a tough 3-0 win against the Gamecocks in a very cold outing in Florence, Alabama.
Four years later, the championship was taken away from Mississippi College by the NCAA when the governing body found the program gave away twice as many scholarships than were permitted.
Deemed a “tremendous competitive advantage”, the NCAA decided the Choctaws didn’t deserve the title, although the Gamecocks and Davis still kept it close.
Davis Becomes A 49er
Now that his final season of college ball was behind him, Rhodes and the 49ers continued their push to get Davis.
He was invited to the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February 1990, and Rhodes kept a close eye on his target.
When the event ended, the coach was even more convinced that San Fran needed to pull the trigger.
Davis and Rhodes met, and he complimented the prospect on his pre-draft performance.
“If you’re making plays,” Rhodes said, “then, as far as I’m concerned, you’re better [than the competition]. It doesn’t matter if you went to Jacksonville.”
In the weeks leading up to the 1990 NFL Draft, several organizations descended onto the Jacksonville State campus to work out Davis.
The Houston Oilers thought he was a first-round prospect, and the Kansas City Chiefs thought highly of Davis as well.
On draft day, there was talk that the Pittsburgh Steelers would snag the corner.
Where does Eric Davis rank among all time 49ers corners? #FTTB pic.twitter.com/dwgbdf5WAo
— Niner Edits (@nineredits) May 31, 2023
However, with the 53rd overall pick in the second round, the 49ers got their man.
Just before the selection, Rhodes called Davis.
“He said, ‘I told you I’m going to draft you,’” Davis recalled years later. ‘“Get yourself on a plane.’”
Biding His Time
Rhodes and the 49ers’ belief in Davis came to fruition in his first training camp.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champs were loaded on both sides of the ball, and the rookie was tested early by All-Pro receiver Jerry Rice.
Thankfully, Davis wasn’t intimidated.
“I felt that Eric was able to hold his own, and that’s what you look for when going up against Jerry Rice,” Rhodes said. “If you’ve got a young man who can come in there and compete and hold his own, then he can play for you. That’s what Eric was able to do.”
During the 1990 season, Davis played in all 16 games but didn’t start.
Random Football Card of the Day:
1993 @Topps
Eric Davis, CB#JacksonvilleState@49ers1990-2002@49ers, @Panthers, @Broncos, & @Lions
188 G (150 GS)
38 INT (4 TD’s), 14 FF, 12 FR (1 TD)
2 sacks, 670 comb tackles
2 PB’s (1995 & 1996) pic.twitter.com/DmwMkDitN3— Michael T. Adams (@michael_t_adams) October 14, 2022
He was still able to snag an interception, force two fumbles, recover one, and make 21 solo tackles.
San Francisco was hoping for a three-peat but lost to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship.
Quarterback Joe Montana was injured by New York defensive end Leonard Marshall during the contest, and he didn’t play again for nearly two years.
In 1991, Davis cracked the starting lineup for the first two weeks before suffering a shoulder injury and spent the rest of the year on the sidelines.
Davis Delivers Under Pressure
After missing the postseason in 1991, Davis and the Niners returned with a vengeance in 1992.
1st and Goal, pass to high.
2nd and Goal at the 12-yard line of 49ers territory. Pass is picked off in the endzone by Eric Davis! 🤲🏈The Hero Called it a Game! 🐐
Throwback 1992 Week 4 SNF🌃49ers @ New Orleans Saints pic.twitter.com/dSkSCS6151
— 49ers Throwback ❤💛 (@49ers_Throwback) July 24, 2023
Now a third-year pro, he started in all 16 games and bagged 61 tackles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions for 52 return yards.
His performance following an abbreviated season inspired the organization to name Davis its Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
Pass is intercepted by Eric Davis.
Nice pressure from DT Peirce Holt. 👀
Throwback 1992 NFCDG Washington Redskins @ 49ers pic.twitter.com/L1UusNK0PI
— 49ers Throwback ❤💛 (@49ers_Throwback) February 7, 2023
San Fran advanced to the NFC title game before losing to the Dallas Cowboys.
A year later, the Niners lost again to Dallas in the 1993 NFC Championship as Davis started 16 games and had 69 tackles, a fumble return for a score, four interceptions and one pick returned for another touchdown.
Before the 1994 season began, San Francisco signed a bevy of free agent players, including former Atlanta Falcons corner Deion Sanders.
The Niners’ secondary now included Davis, Sanders, Merton Hanks, Toi Cook and Tim McDonald.
Together, they were part of one of the best defenses in the NFL, and Davis played well, netting 74 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Following the team’s 13-3 record, San Fran played the Cowboys for the third year in a row in the NFC Championship.
On the third play of the game, Davis picked off Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman and returned the ball 44 yards for the first touchdown of the day.
OTD 1995
On the 4th play from scrimmage in the 1994 #NFCChampionship @_ericdavis_ picks off Aikman and takes it back for a 44 yards for a touchdown#FTTB #49ers
pic.twitter.com/QFLhWJSRIF— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) January 15, 2025
Just one drive later, he forced Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin to fumble the ball that San Francisco recovered.
That led to another touchdown, which in turn, led to the Niners’ 38-28 victory.
Super Bowl XXIX
On the other side of the bracket, the San Diego Chargers edged the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship.
That put two California teams into Super Bowl XXIX.
Unfortunately for San Diego fans, the Chargers were terribly overmatched.
Twenty-five years ago today, the #49ers knew they had it all the way: Steve Young, Brent Jones, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan, Eric Davis and Gary Plummer remember Super Bowl XXIX.https://t.co/RlV4ZrOPPf pic.twitter.com/gU16a9XBcc
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) January 29, 2020
Rice scored three times, quarterback Steve Young threw six touchdown passes (a Super Bowl record and was selected as the game’s MVP), and Davis stepped up with six tackles, two passes broken up and an interception.
San Fran ran away with it early and won its fifth Super Bowl.
“That was definitely a high point, because that was what I was brought here for,” Davis said in 2008. “That’s why they brought all of us in for – to win championships. Up until that point, I had come close, but as R.C. Owens would say, ‘I had not helped bring in any new furniture in the building.'”
Two Pro Bowls with Two Teams
Davis might have been only six feet and 190 pounds, but he was known as a reliable tackler, and he could pack a punch.
“You have to be willing to go in and be fearless and run into the big boys,” he said in 2013. “If not, you end up like a bug on a windshield. You had to be able to take a blow, deliver a blow. Actually, that was the fun part, when a little guy like me ran into one of the big boys. It sort of made them take a double-take, like, ‘Did that just happen?'”
In 1995, the Niners went 11-5 but lost to Green Bay in the divisional round.
Meanwhile, Davis had 51 tackles, his first career sack, two forced fumbles and three interceptions, including a pick-six.
Pass is picked off by Eric Davis and took it to the 🏠!
86 yards TD returned. 😱
Thank you, the ball is mine! 🙌 🏈Throwback 1995 Week 13 St.Louis Rams @ 49ers pic.twitter.com/LDF0qVEiaN
— 49ers Throwback ❤💛 (@49ers_Throwback) February 20, 2023
When the season concluded, he was voted a first-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.
Then, in February 1996, Davis visited the Eagles, Lions and Broncos before signing a four-year, $11.4 million free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers.
“It was hard, extremely hard,” Davis said. “I called George (Seifert) a couple of times today. I talked to Tim McDonald. It was a hard thing to do. There’s a lot of ties there. But ultimately, I had to think about my family. There’s not a question or a feeling that I regret what I’ve done. I’m happy. But it was hard.”
During his first season with the club, Davis grabbed five interceptions, made two forced fumbles and had 60 tackles for the 12-4 Panthers.
After Carolina lost to the Packers in the NFC Championship, Davis went to his second consecutive Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro.
Model of Consistency
The Panthers’ first-ever trip to the playoffs was followed by a few lean years.
11 total wins in 1997 and 1998 cost head coach Dom Capers his job.
Davis, however, had five picks again during both seasons and returned two for scores in ‘98.
His former Niners coach, George Seifert, replaced Capers before the 1999 season.
2️⃣5️⃣ Days until Carolina #Panthers football🏈
Today’s player of the day: Eric Davis, CB (1996-2000)#KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/uYOVRaF2Bq
— The Panthers Magpie – NFL UK (@PanthersMagpie) August 14, 2024
While Davis had five more interceptions and 76 tackles (career-high) and 24 defended passes, Carolina improved to 8-8, a four-game improvement over 1998.
In 2000, the club regressed to seven wins while Davis yet again grabbed five interceptions, broke up 18 passes and had 73 tackles.
That gave the corner the distinction of being only the second player in league history to have five interceptions in five consecutive seasons.
His 25 total picks in Carolina set a franchise record.
Retirement
Before the 2001 season, the Panthers released Davis, and he signed with the Denver Broncos on a one-year deal worth $600,000.
He was reunited with Rhodes, who was the Broncos’ defensive coordinator at the time.
During Denver’s 8-8 season, Davis played primarily on special teams and made 25 tackles.
Next stop was the Detroit Lions in 2002, where he started seven games and made 38 tackles, recovered a fumble and made an interception.
When the Lions’ 3-13 year ended, Davis chose to retire.
During his career, Davis had 670 tackles, two sacks, 14 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, one fumble returned for a touchdown, 38 interceptions for 442 return yards and four pick-sixes.
He was a two-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, won a Super Bowl with San Francisco, and still leads the NFL in consecutive playoff games with an interception (5).
Davis has been inducted into the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame, Division II Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Jacksonville State Hall of Fame.
Sportscaster and Return to JSU
After his retirement from football, Davis stayed close to the game as a television and radio color analyst for Niners’ football games.
In 2012, he was hired as an early morning host for the NFL Network.
Three years later, he was part of the NFL Network’s Total Access program and was a regular on The Rich Eisen Show.
He also co-hosted an afternoon sports show on ESPN Los Angeles beginning in 2016.
Then, in 2017, Davis and a host of other former NFL players were accused of sexual misconduct and assault by two makeup artists while working at NFL Network.
Following an investigation, he was fired from both networks.
While working as a cohost for the “Bleav” podcast for 49ers games in 2020, Davis was cleared of all sexual harassment charges in LA Superior Court.
Eric Davis Returns to Jacksonville State as Director of Player Developmenthttps://t.co/4sbSeNudoR pic.twitter.com/AKsJ9HGWIv
— Calhoun Journal (@calhounjournal) January 29, 2025
In January 2025, he was hired by his alma mater, Jacksonville State, to be its Director of Player Development for the football program.
His role will be to assist the players athletically, socially and academically.
“I’m thrilled to rejoin the program and work with these talented young men,” said Davis. “Our goal is to support them in every way, helping them define their identity, pursue their dreams, and achieve success on and off the field.”
References
https://www.pro-football-reference.com
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