Thursday, May 2, 2024
A man considered by many to be a hometown hero recently passed away at the age of 91. Cotton Davidson, a descendant of generations of the Davidson family who have resided in Coryell County, passed away on Dec. 23 in Waco.
Davidson, a well-known and much respected person in the county, was also recognized across the state of Texas and nationally for his many football accomplishments.
Only last year, Davidson, just a few days prior to his 90th birthday, was on hand for an official book signing event at the Coryell Museum to release a biography about his life titled “The NFL Rifleman.” He co-authored the book with Wayland Corgill which highlighted the many accomplishments of his life. The book chronicled Davidson’s amazing story from his growing up on the banks of Coryell Creek through his many pro-football and coaching years, to returning to his roots in Gatesville in later years.
Following his graduation from Gatesville High School in 1949, Davidson attended Baylor University and later would play football professionally for the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in 1954 and 1957, and the American Football League’s Dallas Texans from 1960 to 1962, and the Oakland Raiders from 1962 to 1968.
He was selected in the first round of the 1954 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. He played on the team for one year before being drafted into the Army, where he was named “All-Army quarterback” in 1956. Following his time in the Army, Davidson returned to Baltimore where he played quarterback with Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas. He would next play in Canada but was forced to depart midway through the season after suffering a shoulder injury.
Davidson returned to Baylor in 1959 where he became a member of the staff of head football coach John Bridgers. Later, he would sign with the Dallas Texans in 1960 for two seasons, being named Most Valuable Player in 1961. Davidson finished his professional career playing for the Raiders before returning to Central Texas with his wife, Carolyn, and went on to coach at Baylor University for 21 years. While at Baylor, he was considered to be a major contributor to Coach Grant Teaff’s Baylor Bear teams that won Southwest Conference championships in 1974 and 1980.
Last year, Gatesville Mayor Gary Chumley presented Davidson with a proclamation declaring November 27 to be known as Cotton Davidson Day in the city.
