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Ernie Davis statue is back — without Nike cleats

Memorial to famed Syracuse back was riddled with historical inaccuracies

Image: Davis ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ernie Davis, halfback for Syracuse, holds the Heisman Memorial Trophy prior to official presentation to him in New York City on Dec. 6, 1961. Davis was the first black player to receive the award.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Five months after it was removed to correct historic inaccuracies, a statue of former Syracuse University running back Ernie Davis is back on campus.

The permanent memorial to the first black Heisman Trophy recipient, created by sculptor Bruno Luchessi, was re-installed Tuesday morning.

The life-size statue depicts Davis, known as “The Elmira Express,” standing in his Syracuse uniform holding a helmet under his left arm and a football in his right hand.

The original, unveiled in September, mistakenly showed Davis in Nike cleats and carrying a modern football and helmet.

Davis died of leukemia in 1963. He led the Orange to its only national championship in 1959 and won the Heisman in 1961, nearly a decade before Nike was formed.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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