Fred Lee Davis

Louisville, KY

duPont Manual High School

March 10, 1995

University of Alabama

Washington Redskins (1941–1945)
Chicago Bears (1946–1951)

Can you imagine a governor personally writing to a high school football player, urging him to stay in Kentucky to play college ball? That’s exactly what happened with Fredrick “Fred” Lee Davis.

Davis attended duPont Manual High School in Louisville, where he first demonstrated his remarkable football talent. Despite the governor’s plea, he chose to leave the Commonwealth and accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Alabama.

At Alabama, Davis emerged as a dominant tackle, starting for three seasons and earning All-SEC honors in 1940. That same year, he was one of seven Crimson Tide players selected to participate in the prestigious East-West All-Star Game in San Francisco—where he made history as the first Alabama player ever named Most Outstanding Player.

His collegiate success caught the attention of the NFL, and in the 1941 draft, he was selected 25th overall by the Washington Redskins. In his rookie season, Davis helped lead the Redskins to the 1942 NFL Championship, earned a Pro Bowl selection, and was named NFL Rookie of the Year.

Davis later joined the Chicago Bears in 1946, where he won his second NFL Championship. He continued to shine, earning second-team All-NFL honors in 1948 and a second Pro Bowl nod in 1950. He retired from professional football in 1951.

Davis remained deeply connected to the game of football, especially to the Alabama Crimson Tide, who honored his legacy with induction into the Alabama Hall of Fame in 1981. He stayed involved with the program throughout the rest of his life until his passing in 1995.

Images from Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia.