Retired NFL cornerback Vontae Davis died today at the age of 35 at the home of his grandmother, Adeline Davis, in Florida. Authorities continue to investigate the causes of death, but according to press reports, there is no evidence of foul play at the scene.
One of the first reports was from the WSVN network, which reported that the Davie Police and the Broward County Medical Examiners Office arrived at the home of Adeline Davis in Southwest Ranches, Florida, where they would have found the player’s body.
Several sports personalities have confirmed Davis’ death through social media posts. Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts owner, posted, “Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Vontae Davis. A great guy, teammate, player. My prayers to Vontae’s family.”
More condolences on social media
Chester Frazier, assistant coach of the University of Illinois basketball team, said on his X account, “We lost a great today!!! RIP TO @vontaedavis. Man, nothing but good memories of that dude in school!!! Praying for the Davis family!!”
Davis’ childhood friend Bobby Maze posted on Facebook: “Life will never be the same without my brother. Them FaceTime calls etc. Damn, I wish we could have one more convo. You beat the odds, you made it. You did it. It’s your way. It just wasn’t supposed to end like this.”
The Buffalo Bills X account joined in the condolences: “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.”
Vontae Davis’ career
Vontae Davis began his career at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School, from where he was recruited in 2006 by the Illinois Fighting Illini. In 2009, the cornerback tried his luck in the Draft, where he was picked number 25 overall by the Miami Dolphins.
In 2012, after falling to third on the depth chart, the Dolphins traded Davis to the Colts, where he played the next six seasons. In 2018, he signed with the Bills, but he played just a couple of games with the team.
In the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Davis left the game at halftime, saying he was “done.” At the end of the game, the cornerback published a statement confirming his retirement.
Later, when talking about his sudden decision, Davis said that at that moment, he realized that he no longer wanted to play football. He claimed that retiring had been “therapeutic.”