Vernon Davis was one of the best tight ends in the NFL for years, but his career has taken a sharp turn since he left San Francisco. The veteran tight end was an integral part of the 49ers organization, helping them win two Super Bowls, but he has recently found himself embroiled in controversy. Davis was an integral part of the 49ers Super Bowl-winning teams, but he was also the victim of a controversial contract holdout. Davis eventually signed his contract, but before that happened, he was inundated with negative stories, which was the last thing the tight end wanted.
Vernon Davis may have been one of the best tight ends in the NFL for four years, but he’s also the guy who emerged from the shadow of the NFL to become a well-paid actor in Hollywood. He’s starring in the new fantasy-football-themed movie ‘Draft Day’, which co-stars Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, and Denis Leary, and he’s just purchased the rights to his life story in order to write a book. And he’s also being sued by the NCAA for his role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.
Vernon Davis has been one of the most dominant tight ends in football for the past decade. He has two Super Bowl rings, two Pro Bowl nods, and was one of the most sought-after free agent signings in recent memory when he joined the 49ers in 2010. Since then, he has played in only 94 regular season games, but his versatility has earned him a spot on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Every great athlete has someone who went before them to pave the way for their success.
Vernon Davis had already seen players like Shannon Sharpe and Kellen Winslow Sr. alter the image of tight ends in the NFL when he joined the league in 2006. Throughout his career, Davis showed that defenders should be afraid of tight ends in the passing game, which only served to set the scene for players who line up at the position today.
Now, as he watches players like Travis Kelce continue the torch, the former Pro Bowler for the San Francisco 49ers is taking on a new task. In reality, in his new high-profile profession, he has gone from setting the stage to seizing it.
In the NFL, Vernon Davis shown how deadly tight ends can be.
On December 29, 2013, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis goes onto the field before a game against the Arizona Cardinals. Getty Images/Christian Petersen
When the 49ers took Davis with the sixth overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Maryland, he was a big-time prospect.
He had a couple good statistical seasons to begin his career, but in 2009, he showed he was a force to be reckoned with. Davis was named to his first Pro Bowl after catching 78 receptions for 965 yards and an NFL-leading 13 touchdowns that season.
In a recent interview with Sportscasting, Davis stated, “If you have commitment, persistence, and you’re truly putting the time into the trade, you can go as far as you want to go.”
His consistency allowed him to become a key member of some of the best 49ers teams. From the 2011 season through the 2013 season, the 49ers went to three straight NFC Championship Games with players like Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, and others. During the 2012 season, the team made it to the Super Bowl, where Davis shone on the greatest platform of all, collecting six receptions for 104 yards.
However, the Niners were defeated 34-31 by Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl.
“It was a wonderful thing to make it there,” Davis added. “… But getting there and then losing that game was very disappointing because all we wanted was to return with that trophy. Because making it to the Super Bowl is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
With Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, he later won a Super Bowl.
After the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016, Vernon Davis of the Denver Broncos looks on. | Getty Images/Patrick Smith
Davis was a leader on those squads, but the 49ers moved him to the Denver Broncos a few years later in 2015.
The former football player was understandably unhappy about leaving his only franchise, but his decision paid off in the end, as Denver won the Super Bowl.
“At first, I thought it was a problem since I felt that the team was trying to get rid of me after 10 years, so they planned to send me off,” he said. “However, it turned out to be something really spectacular. I went to Denver and was a member of a fantastic squad led by Peyton Manning as quarterback. It was a fantastic bunch of men with whom I had the pleasure of playing. And then being able to return to San Jose and win the Super Bowl at the [49ers’ stadium] was incredible, dude. It was fantastic. That is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Travis Kelce, for example, is carrying on his legacy.
Davis played for the Washington Football Team for the last four years of his career before retiring following the 2019 season.
However, his legacy lives on via other tight ends, even if his career is gone.
According to Chiefs Wire, Travis Kelce stated during the 2021 NFL Draft, “The most important thing for me is to help this position develop.” “Without someone like Tony Gonzalez or Vernon Davis, I wouldn’t have had this success or had as much pleasure on the field.”
And game acknowledges game for Davis.
“I follow him; Travis Kelce is a huge admirer of mine,” he told Sportscasting. “He’s a maestro at tight end; he’s found out how to truly dominate that position, and I congratulate him for that.”
Vernon Davis is about to go on a new adventure.
On the set of ‘Gasoline Alley,’ Bruce Willis (left) and Vernon Davis. | Courtesy of Michael Misetic/Overtime PR
As he watches players like Kelce dominating the game today, Davis has decided to pursue a completely different path: acting.
Davis has featured in a number of films after retirement, including two with Bruce Willis, Gasoline Alley and A Day to Die. He’s also collaborating with Morgan Freeman on a film called Muti.
“I was an art studio major, so I really learned certain things about myself at the University of Maryland,” he added. “… So, when I came in San Francisco, I joined in a class at The Shelton Theater of Art, and it was then that I discovered a whole new level of love for acting, producing, and directing.”
Davis has taken his love for cinema and ran with it, much as he did with his commitment to becoming a great tight end. The two-time Pro Bowler has established two production businesses and produced A Message From Brianna, a film that will be shown at the American Black Film Festival later this year. In 2022, he will also be a judge on Fox’s Domino Masters.
Davis is most known for his time as a great football player, but he will soon be known for his work as a prominent Hollywood figure as well.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
Travis Kelce claims that his father’s laziness has resulted in people mispronouncing his surname for years.
