.jpg) Davis with theWashington Redskins in 2018 | |||||||||
| No. 85, 80 | |||||||||
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| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1984-01-31)January 31, 1984 (age 41) Washington, D.C., U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Dunbar(Washington, D.C.) | ||||||||
| College | Maryland (2003–2005) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2006: 1st round, 6th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Vernon Leonard Davis[1] (born January 31, 1984) is an American former professionalfootball player who was atight end in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMaryland Terrapins, earning first-teamAll-American honors in 2005. Davis was selected by theSan Francisco 49ers with the sixth overall pick of the2006 NFL draft. In 2009, he co-led the NFL intouchdown receptions and consequently earned his first of two careerPro Bowl selections.
In the2011–12 NFL playoffs with the 49ers, Davis caught the game-winning touchdown pass fromAlex Smith against theNew Orleans Saints, referred to as "the Catch III". In 2015, Davis was traded to theDenver Broncos, where he wonSuper Bowl 50 with the team over theCarolina Panthers. He then signed with theWashington Redskins in 2016, where he played until retiring following the 2019 season.
Davis attended Truesdell Elementary inWashington, D.C., and later attendedPaul Public Charter School for middle school.[2] However, Paul did not have a football team, and Davis played for neighboring MacFarland Middle School as a result. He went on to attendDunbar High School in Washington.[3] Davis was a letterman infootball, basketball, and track & field. At Dunbar, he was teammates with futureCleveland Browns kick return specialist and wide receiver,Josh Cribbs.[4] Davis played tight end and safety, but he also played wide receiver, kick returner, linebacker, and defensive end. In his senior season, Davis caught 21 passes for 511 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing three games with a deep bone bruise below his knee. Davis also caught three two-point conversions and returned two kick offs and two punts for touchdowns. As a junior, he had 35 receptions for 385 yards. Rated as a four-star recruit byRivals.com, Davis was listed as the fourth-best tight end prospect of the class of 2003.[5]
Intrack & field, Davis recorded a personal best of 10.7 seconds in the100 meters, and was theDCIAA champion in thehigh jump with a jump of 6 ft 6 in (198 cm). He was also a member of the4 × 100 m (43.68s) relay squad.
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Davis TE | Washington, District of Columbia | Dunbar | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.4 | Jul 8, 2003 |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 2 (TE) Rivals: 4 (TE) | ||||||
Sources:
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Davis enrolled in theUniversity of Maryland, where he majored in studio art and played for theMaryland Terrapins football team. In2003, Davis saw the most consistent action of any true freshman, playing in all thirteen contests. He had five receptions for 87 yards (11.8 avg) and led the kickoff coverage unit with eight solo tackles.
In2004, Davis played in almost every game, starting at H-back againstNorthern Illinois,Duke,Georgia Tech,Clemson,Virginia Tech, andWake Forest. He finished second on the team with 27 catches for 441 yards and had 16.3 avg and three touchdowns.[9]
In2005, Davis was a consensusAll-American and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection. He was a finalist for theMackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end. Davis started every game, leading the team with 51 receptions and the conference with 871 receiving yards (17.1 avg).[10][11] His six touchdown catches rank tenth on the school's season-record list while his 51 receptions also rank tenth on Maryland's annual record chart while his 871 yards rank fifth. Davis was graded 82.5% for blocking consistency as he registered 67 knockdowns, including 18 blocks down field and had eight touchdown-resulting blocks.
Davis was heavily involved with working out in college. He set school strength records (in spring of 2005) for a tight end in the bench press (460 pounds), power-clean (380 pounds), index (824 pounds) and squat (685 pounds).[12] Davis finished his collegiate career with 1,371 yards on 83 receptions for 16.5 yards per catch, the best average of any first round tight end ever and more yards than other previous high first round tight ends such asTony Gonzalez,Jeremy Shockey,Kyle Brady, andKellen Winslow II.
In June 2025, Davis was named one of the 79 nominees for the 2026 class of theCollege Football Hall of Fame.[13]
| Maryland Terrapins | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||||
| 2003 | 13 | 5 | 59 | 11.8 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2004 | 11 | 27 | 441 | 16.3 | 46 | 3 | 1 | −2 | −2.0 | −2 | 0 | |||
| 2005 | 11 | 51 | 871 | 17.1 | 73 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| Career | 35 | 83 | 1,371 | 16.5 | 73 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 7 | 0 | |||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft3+1⁄4 in (1.91 m) | 254 lb (115 kg) | 32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m) | 4.38 s | 1.52 s | 2.56 s | 4.17 s | 7.00 s | 42.0 in (1.07 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | 33 reps | 20[14] |
| All values fromNFL Combine[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Davis was selected sixth overall in the first round of the2006 NFL draft by theSan Francisco 49ers.[17] He joinedKellen Winslow Jr. as the fourth highest tight end ever drafted afterRon Kramer, (Green Bay, fourth overall in 1957)Mike Ditka (Chicago, fifth overall in 1961), andRiley Odoms (Denver, fifth overall in 1972). Davis was the top tight end prospect in the 2006 NFL Draft, partially due to a strong performance at the scoutingcombine.[18] He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Davis also broad-jumped 10'08", nearly a foot farther than the next-best tight end,Marcedes Lewis.
Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch from quarterbackAlex Smith, against theArizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006.[19] Smith added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against theGreen Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run.[20] Davis missed six games due an injury he suffered on September 24, 2006. Davis sustained a hairline fracture to his leftfibula, on a non-contact play against thePhiladelphia Eagles, but returned on November 19 against theSeattle Seahawks.
Davis finished his rookie year with 20 receptions for 265 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games and eight starts.[21][22]
During Week 3, Davis was injured while attempting to catch a pass from Smith against thePittsburgh Steelers. Davis sprained his right knee and missed the next two games. Despite his injury and the 49ers' offensive ineptitude, Davis bettered most of the numbers from his rookie season. Even though his yards per reception diminished, Davis finished his second professional season with 52 receptions for 509 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games and starts.[23]
In October 2008, after catching a seven-yard pass in the third quarter against theSeahawks, Davis slapped Seahawks safetyBrian Russell in the facemask, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, causing head coachMike Singletary to bench Davis and then send him to the locker room for the rest of the game. After the game, Singletary then spoke his famous "I want winners" rant. This resulted in Davis changing his attitude from himself, to the team. In the next game against theArizona Cardinals, Davis leaped over a defender and caught a pass from quarterbackShaun Hill resulting in a touchdown, his first of the season.
Davis finished the season with 31 receptions for 358 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[24]
Through Week 11 of the 2009 season, Davis led the NFL with nine touchdown receptions, tied with wide receiversLarry Fitzgerald andRandy Moss. In the final game of the regular season, he tied the all-time record for most touchdown receptions for a tight end in a single season with 13,[25] sharing the record set byAntonio Gates of theSan Diego Chargers in2004; that record stood until2011, when it was broken byRob Gronkowski of theNew England Patriots.[26][27] Davis was selected to appear in hisfirst Pro Bowl after recording 78 receptions for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[28]
Before the 2010 season, Davis was awarded a five-year contract extension for $37 million with $23 million guaranteed. The deal made him the league's highest paid tight end.[29] During a Week 6 17–9 victory over theOakland Raiders in Week 6, Davis recorded his third straight game with a touchdown.[30]
Davis finished the 2010 season with 56 receptions and 914 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[31] He was ranked 88th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2011.[32]
In 2011, Davis had 67 receptions for 792 yards with six touchdowns in 16 games and starts, helping the 49ers win theNFC West division and make the postseason for the first time since2002.[33] In theplayoffs in theDivisional Round against theNew Orleans Saints, he had seven receptions for 180 yards, breakingKellen Winslow's record (166) for most yards by a tight end in a playoff game.[34] Davis scored two touchdowns, and on the game-winning drive, he had a critical 47-yard reception that put the 49ers in a position to tie the game. With nine seconds remaining, Davis caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith, now referred to as "Vernon Post".[35] Davis caught three passes for 112 yards and another two touchdowns against theNew York Giants in theNFC Championship, but the 49ers lost 20–17 in overtime.[36] He was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2012.[37]
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During the 2012 season, Davis caught 41 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[38]
During theNFC Championship Game, Davis recorded five receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown in the 28–24 comeback victory over theAtlanta Falcons.[39] DuringSuper Bowl XLVII, he had six receptions for 104 yards in the 34–31 loss to theBaltimore Ravens.[40] Davis was ranked 38th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2013.[41]
Davis began the 2013 season much like the 2012 playoffs ended: as a trusted and reliable target for quarterbackColin Kaepernick, catching his first touchdown pass of the season in the first quarter of the first game, atCandlestick Park on September 8, 2013, against theGreen Bay Packers.[42] Davis finished the 2013 season with 52 receptions for 850 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games and starts.[43]
Davis added two touchdown receptions in the playoffs, one coming against the Green Bay Packers in aWild Card Round victory, and another in aDivisional Round victory over theCarolina Panthers.[44][45] He was named to the Pro Bowl.[46] Davis was ranked 51st by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[47]
In 2014, Davis had 26 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns, both of which occurred in the season-opening 28–17 road victory over theDallas Cowboys.[48][49] He was dealing with ankle and back issues, which hindered him most of the time during the season.[50]
On November 2, 2015, Davis and a 2016 seventh-round draft pick were traded from theSan Francisco 49ers to theDenver Broncos for sixth-round picks in2016 and2017.[51][52]
Davis' first game as a member of the Broncos was against his brotherVontae and theIndianapolis Colts. WithBrock Osweiler as the starting quarterback, Davis had four receptions for 69 yards during a narrow Week 11 17–15 road victory over theChicago Bears.[53] He added a combined four receptions for 35 yards in victories over theNew England Patriots andSan Diego Chargers. Davis had a season-high seven catches for 74 yards during a Week 14 15–12 loss to theOakland Raiders.[54] On February 7, 2016, Davis won his first Super Bowl championship after the Broncos defeated theCarolina Panthers by a score of 24–10 inSuper Bowl 50.[55] Despite ending the Super Bowl with no receptions,[56] Davis made a key block downfield during a crucial 34-yard run by teammateC. J. Anderson, the longest rush of the game.[57][58]
On March 31, 2016, Davis signed a one-year contract with his hometownWashington Redskins.[59] During a Week 6 27–20 victory over thePhiladelphia Eagles, Davis caught his first touchdown since 2014, helping the Redskins win their fourth straight game of the season. Davis had started the game in replacement of an injuredJordan Reed and finished with two receptions for 50 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.[60] The following week, he earned his third start in a row and finished with six receptions for 79 yards in a 17–20 road loss to theDetroit Lions.[61] The following week, Davis caught five passes for 93 yards in a 27–27 tie with theCincinnati Bengals.[62] During a Week 9 26–20 victory over theMinnesota Vikings, he caught three passes for 66 yards and caught a 38-yard touchdown reception from quarterbackKirk Cousins.[63]
Davis finished the 2016 season with 44 receptions for 583 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.[64]
On March 8, 2017, Davis signed a three-year contract extension with the Redskins.[65] Overall, in the 2017 season, Davis finished with 43 receptions for 648 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[66]
Davis recorded his first touchdown of the season in Week 6 against theCarolina Panthers.[67] Davis finished the season with 25 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games and eight starts.[68]
During the season-opening 32–27 loss thePhiladelphia Eagles, Davis caught four passes for 59 yards including a 48-yard touchdown.[69] He was placed on injured reserve on November 22, 2019, after missing most of the season with a concussion.[70]
Davis announced his retirement via aFox NFL skit prior toSuper Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020.[71]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2006 | SF | 10 | 8 | 20 | 265 | 13.3 | 52 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 | SF | 14 | 14 | 52 | 509 | 9.8 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | SF | 16 | 16 | 31 | 358 | 11.5 | 57 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2009 | SF | 16 | 16 | 78 | 965 | 12.4 | 73 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | SF | 16 | 16 | 56 | 914 | 16.3 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | SF | 16 | 16 | 67 | 792 | 11.8 | 44 | 6 | 2 | −5 | −2.5 | −2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2012 | SF | 16 | 16 | 41 | 548 | 13.4 | 53 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | SF | 15 | 15 | 52 | 850 | 16.3 | 64 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | SF | 14 | 14 | 26 | 245 | 9.4 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | SF | 6 | 5 | 18 | 194 | 10.8 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DEN | 9 | 4 | 20 | 201 | 10.1 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | WAS | 16 | 14 | 44 | 583 | 13.3 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | WAS | 16 | 16 | 43 | 648 | 15.1 | 69 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | WAS | 14 | 8 | 25 | 367 | 14.7 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | WAS | 4 | 1 | 10 | 123 | 12.3 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 198 | 179 | 583 | 7,562 | 13.0 | 73 | 63 | 6 | 15 | 2.5 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 7 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | SF | 2 | 2 | 10 | 292 | 29.2 | 73 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | SF | 3 | 3 | 12 | 254 | 21.2 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | SF | 3 | 3 | 5 | 54 | 10.8 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | DEN | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 11 | 9 | 27 | 600 | 22.2 | 73 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Davis is an avidcurling fan. He hosted an event for his charity inSan Jose, California, in which the event was curling. Davis was named honorary captain of the Men's U.S. Olympic Curling team for the2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.[72]
In late 2010, Davis founded Modern Class Design (MCD) with business partner Antone Barnes.[73] Modern Class Design is a full-service fine arts and interior design company that offers comprehensive design services for homes and commercial spaces including interiors and landscape architecture. Davis also owns a chain of Jamba Juice franchises.[74]
In December 2012, Davis opened Gallery 85 onSantana Row in San Jose, California. Gallery 85 is an art gallery for new and emerging artists giving them access to high-end exposure.[75]
In October 2013, it was reported that Davis would be offering stock in his future earnings through a venture withFantex as part of a new financial instrument being sold by Fantex. Davis planned to offer a 10% share of all future earnings from his brand marketing company to Fantex, which would then turn around and divide it into shares of atracking stock that can be traded within their own exchange.[76] In January 2014, the stock offering was confirmed. The proposed offering was 421,100 shares, valued at $10 per share, for a total proposed valuation worth $4.2 million.[77]
Davis' younger brother was former NFLcornerbackVontae Davis, who played for theMiami Dolphins andIndianapolis Colts before retiring during halftime as a member of theBuffalo Bills and died suddenly on April 1, 2024.[78]
In 2013, Davis made a cameo appearance in the music video for the song "Get Lo" byRon Artest andMike Jones.[79]
Davis made an appearance onPretty Wild andWhose Line is it Anyway? in 2015.[80][81]
Davis was a judge on ABC'sBattleBots in its second season.[82]
Davis hosted the reunion and behind-the scenes special for MTV'sThe Challenge: Total Madness, both of which aired in July 2020.[83][84] In September 2020, Davis was announced as one of the celebrities competing in the29th season ofDancing with the Stars. He partnered withPeta Murgatroyd and was the fifth couple eliminated from the competition, lasting six weeks.[85]
On April 28, 2021, Davis returned as the host for the two-part reunion ofThe Challenge: Double Agents.[86][87][88]
In March and April 2022, Davis served as a judge for Season 1 ofDomino Masters on Fox.[89]
Davis also starred in the crime thrillerThe Ritual Killer as "Randoku", which was released on March 10, 2023. The movie is about a detective hunting for an international murderer committing ritualistic killings in a small Mississippi town. The movie starsMorgan Freeman andCole Hauser.
In 2022, it was announced that Davis would star in the comedy filmPlan B, alongsideJon Heder,Tom Berenger, andShannon Elizabeth.[90]
Following his NFL career, Davis has been active as an entrepreneur and investor across a variety of industries. He joinedDavid Stern,Jim Boeheim,Steve Smith, and others as an early investor inSportsCastr, a live-streaming platform that allows fans and athletes to provide commentary on games.[91] In 2022, he became a brand ambassador and investor in JAXJOX, a smart home fitness startup.[92] Davis also co-developed Gloriana, a luxury townhouse project in Washington, D.C., and has been involved in other real estate ventures, including a multifamily housing community in Ohio.[93]
In professional sports, he is a minority owner ofDC Power FC, a women’s soccer team in theUSL Super League,[94] and joined the ownership group of theBrisbane Bullets, a basketball team in Australia’s National Basketball League.[95]
