Vontae Davis, former NFL cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills, has died, with all three teams confirming the news on Monday. He was 35, just two months short of his 36th birthday.
We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of former Dolphins CB Vontae Davis and extend our deepest condolences to his family & loved ones during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/mB1kYUpZqQ
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 1, 2024
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Vontae Davis.
We are thinking of his friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time. ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/a2f5RtlQoj
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 1, 2024
We are devastated to hear of Vontae Davis’s passing. He will be deeply missed, and we send our prayers to his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/K10FdaLmNV
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 1, 2024
The cause and circumstances of his death are unknown. According to the Davie Police Department, Davis was found dead in his Florida home on Monday morning after being discovered by the house assistant, per ESPN Colts reporter Stephen Holder. A death investigation is currently underway, though investigators have said they don’t expect foul play.
Davis, who spent a decade in the NFL, is best known for his abrupt retirement in 2018. At halftime of the Bills’ Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Davis retired and released a lengthy statement afterward explaining his move.
“Today on the field, reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn’t be out there anymore. It’s more important for me and my family to walk away healthy than to willfully embrace the warrior mentality and limp away too late.”
After his sudden retirement, Davis seemed to be in a good place. The Washington Post did a profile on him in late 2019, a year after he left the game, and he had recently published “Middle School Rules,” a children’s book in which professional athletes share lessons they learned growing up.
Davis shared his own story in the book: a rough upbringing in Washington, D.C. with a violent father and a drug-addicted mother. His grandmother saved him and his six siblings, including former NFL tight end Vernon Davis, by taking them from foster care and adopting him. In school, Davis excelled athletically in both football and track, and ended up choosing to attend Illinois. He was a first-round draft pick in 2009, and was a two-time All-Pro during his NFL career.
It doesn’t get talked about much, but Vontae Davis’ 2014 season is one of the best CB seasons in NFL history.
In fact, it is *the* best in the PFF-era:
• 93.3 PFF grade (1st in PFF-era)
• 92.5 coverage grade (T-2nd)
• 91.1 run defense grade (T-6th)Rest in peace 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/F4GAuV5Nyx
— Mike Kennedy (@MikeKennedyNFL) April 1, 2024
Davis was arrested two months ago in Miami for driving under the influence. He hit a truck pulled over with a flat tire, then was found asleep by the side of the road when police arrived. He admitted to police at the scene that he had been drinking.
As news of Davis’ death began to spread, tributes started appearing on social media. Colts owner Jim Irsay and former teammates Pat McAfee and T.Y. Hilton all shared their feelings about Davis’ sudden passing, as did many others.
Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Vontae Davis. A great guy, teammate, player. My prayers to Vontae’s family.🙏
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) April 1, 2024
We just was on FT a couple weeks ago. I sill can’t believe you gone. I don’t wanna believe you gone! My head hurt so bad. 😢😢😢 RIP VD pic.twitter.com/fsqthKoCmc
— TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) April 1, 2024
The first person who came to mind when I heard the news of Vontae Davis’ passing was his grandmother, Adeline. She was a central figure in his life and single handedly raised Vontae, Vernon and their siblings.
I feel for her and the rest of Vontae’s family.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 1, 2024
Crushing to hear about Vontae man.. He was truly one of a kind. There was never a time Vontae didn’t light up a room a make people laugh. He was an extraordinary teammate and person to be around.
My love and prayers go out to the Davis family.
— Robert “Turbo” Turbin (@RobertJTurbin) April 1, 2024
#illinination we lost a great today!!! RIP TO @vontaedavis man nothing but good memories of that dude in school!!! Praying for the Davis family!!
— Chester Frazier (@CoachFrazierILL) April 1, 2024
I totally agree. The best thing you could have done for your platform is give prayers to god for him his loved ones and his family members. He was a former teammate of mine for the @Colts and he lost his life. He was a great human being. Probably one of the funniest people I’ve… https://t.co/hpwhyHzDKW
— Winston Guy Jr. (@winstonguyjr) April 1, 2024
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