Anthony Davis (running back, born 1952)

Davis was a consensus All-American in 1974, and led the USC Trojans in rushing, scoring and kick return yardage for three consecutive seasons. He is especially remembered for scoring 11 touchdowns in three games against Notre Dame. In a 45–23 USC win on December 2, 1972, he scored six touchdowns which set a school single game record. Two of those scores came on kickoff returns. He returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown after Notre Dame won the coin toss and chose to kick. After Notre Dame scored on a short pass and narrowed the Trojans' lead, he returned the following kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. In this game, Davis had three kickoff returns for a total of 218 yards, an average of 72.7 yards per return.[2] This set an NCAA record for the highest average gain per return in a single game. In his career as a Trojan he returned 37 kickoffs for 1,299 yards, an NCAA record 35.1 yard average. His six career kickoff returns for touchdowns set an NCAA record which stood until 2009, when it was broken by C. J. Spiller of Clemson. Davis' kickoff return average of 42.5 yards in 1974, is the highest kickoff return average for any single season leader ever. He was also the first Pacific-8 Conference player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons – 1,191 in 1972; 1,112 in 1973 and 1,469 in 1974. For his career at USC, he carried the ball 784 times for 3,772 yards and 44 touchdowns. Davis was also a repeat (1973, 1974) first-team All-Pac-8 Conference selection. He was also the third multiple recipient of the W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. Davis won the Voit trophy in 1972 and 1974.

On November 30, 1974, he started an amazing rally which brought the Trojans back from a 24–0 second quarter deficit against #4 ranked Notre Dame to a 55–24 win. Just before halftime, he scored on a seven-yard lateral pass from quarterback Pat Haden. Davis found paydirt a second time on a 102-yard kickoff return to open the second half. With only 3:25 elapsed in the third quarter, Davis scored a third touchdown on a six-yard run. Then with still 8:37 left in the same quarter, Davis added his fourth and final touchdown of the game on a four-yard dash, dropped to his knees, went into his "endzone dance", then added a two-point conversion and the Trojans had the lead 27–24. Incredibly, Davis had scored 26 of the Trojans' first 27 points.[3][4]

In 1974, Heisman Trophy ballots were due prior to the end of the season and before that year's USC-Notre Dame game. He finished second in the voting to Archie Griffin of Ohio State. Afterward, Heisman voting took place after all the regular season games had been played. From 1972 to 1974, with Davis as the tailback the Trojans compiled a 31–3–2 (.889) record, three conference titles, two Rose Bowl victories in three appearances and two national championships. He accumulated 24 school, conference, and NCAA records, including over 5,400 all-purpose yards and 52 touchdowns.

Davis' talents were not just limited to football, he was also successful in baseball as an outfielder and switch-hitter on USC's 1972, 1973, and 1974 College World Series champion baseball teams.[1] Playing with wood bats at the time, Davis hit .273 with six home runs, 45 RBIs and 13 stolen bases for the Trojans' 1974 team.

During his Trojan career, Davis won five national championships – two in football, three in baseball.[1] As a two-sport standout, Davis holds the distinction of being the only player in school history to start for a national champion football team (1972) and a national champion baseball team (1974). He did not finish his degree at USC.[1]

The Notre Dame vs. USC game on November 27, 2004 was titled "Anthony Davis Day", in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the record-breaking game.

While at USC, Davis was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine three times, including one foldout.[4][5][6] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in late 2005 in New York City, and enshrined on August 12, 2006, in South Bend, Indiana.

The Minnesota Twins selected him in the fourth round of the 1975 January amateur entry draft (83rd overall pick) for Major League Baseball (MLB); however he rejected them, thinking they would be unable to meet his salary demands.[1]

Following his football career, Davis found initial success as a real estate developer in the 1980s and early 1990s, while also occasionally acting in minor film and television roles.[1]

In 1990, Davis fulfilled a long-time dream and started playing professional baseball in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association, playing as an outfielder for the San Bernardino Pride club.[11] The Pride had a record of 13-12 and were in third place when the league canceled the season on December 26, less than the halfway point in a planned 56-game schedule.[12]

In 2020, he was featured in the documentary "Quiet Explosions: Healing the Brain" produced and directed by Jerri Sher.[13] The film discusses CTE, a degenerative brain disease from repetitive brain trauma that Davis suffers from.[14]

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

• Anthony Davis at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
• Anthony Davis at IMDb