Former Players Remember Sam Davis

Terry Hanratty: “Sam was a wonderful friend and a great teammate. He was very quiet – but when you got him laughing he had one of the greatest laughs of all time. He was a good person – it was just sad to see how it all came to an end.

You’re seeing it end this way for a bunch of guys – too many guys. I’ve seen too many football players end up like this.

As for Sam – he and Jon Kolb were probably the two most under-rated players in the NFL. Neither got enough credit. He was a good captain too – silent but a good leader.”

Larry Gagner: “Although Sam played behind me (and Bruce Van Dyke) for a couple of years, I wasn’t really that close to him. I do remember his first wife, Gladys, as being a wonderful, outgoing personality. Similar to Sam’s, if not a mirror image. I couldn’t have chosen a better individual (and player) to replace me after the Steelers traded me to the Giants following my automobile accident (questionable) recovery. I’m glad for Sam to have played in some Steeler Super Bowls. I’m not so joyful about how his life turned out after football. If they do autopsy on Sam’s brain, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised that a considerable amount of CTE will be found.”