Nebraska Legend Immortalized by Cotton Bowl

Davis’ first season coincided with the arrival of coaching icon Tom Osborne, and he starred with a career-high 1,114 rushing yards. Davis capped the 9-2-1 campaign with a legendary performance in Nebraska’s 19-3 victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Davis pounded the Longhorns all day long, rushing for 106 yards on 28 carries and scored on a three-yard run. Davis and his Husker teammates seized momentum in the third quarter and broke open a 3-3 stalemate with back-to-back touchdowns. Nebraska finished No. 7 in the final AP rankings.

Davis continued to take a leading role for the Huskers in 1974 and 1975, helping the Huskers to appearances in the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl in his final two seasons. He was the MVP of Nebraska’s 1974 Sugar Bowl win over Florida and was inducted into the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame in 2021, giving him the rare distinction of being in the Halls of Fame for two of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious bowl games. He is also the only Husker in both the Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl Halls of Fame.

Davis was joined in the 14th Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame class by Notre Dame fullback Jerome Bettis, Texas linebacker Randy Braband, Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chief Ambassador, Past Chair and former Team Selection & Playoff Committee Chair Finley (Fin) Ewing III, CBAA Historian Charlie Fiss, Auburn running back Bo Jackson and Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

The eight honorees add their names to a group that has grown to 93 men and women who have left an indelible mark on the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, one of America's original bowl games.

Davis went on to play six seasons in the National Football League after being drafted in the fourth round, appearing in 89 career games with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.