Fire destroys Ernie Davis memorabilia

Published Dec. 22, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

A fire at an upstate New York middle school named for the late Syracuse University football star Ernie Davis has destroyed some of his memorabilia that had been on display.

Administrators with the Elmira City School District say the fire early Wednesday in the library at Ernie Davis Middle School destroyed all the books and computers, along with some memorabilia linked to Davis, the first black player to win college football's Heisman Trophy.

School officials say the library had a display case with photographs, ticket stubs, game brochures and other Davis memorabilia. A larger collection in another part of the building wasn't damaged in the fire, which started around 4 a.m.

Davis, who was from Elmira, won the Heisman in 1961. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 1962 and died in 1963 at the age of 23.