{{Short description|American football player (1993–2020)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Titus Davis | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | current_team = | number = 84 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{birth date|1993|1|3}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|11|11|1993|1|3}} | birth_place = Wheaton, Illinois, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lbs = 200 | high_school = Wheaton Warrenville South<br/>(Wheaton, Illinois) | college = Central Michigan (2011–2014) | undraftedyear = 2015 | pastteams = * San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|2015}})* * New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2015}})* * Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2015}})* * New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2015}}–{{NFL Year|2016}})* * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|2017}})* |highlights = * 2× First-team All-MAC (2013, 2014) * Second-team All-MAC (2012) * Third-team All-MAC (2011) | status = }}
'''Titus Davis''' (January 3, 1993 – November 11, 2020) was an American football player. He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas, and holds the school records for both career receiving yards and touchdowns. Davis was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. His younger brother, Corey, was a wide receiver for the New York Jets.
==Early years== Davis attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Wheaton, Illinois and starred alongside his brother and eventual Western Michigan Broncos standout, Corey Davis. In 2010, he helped lead the team to a perfect 14–0 record and an Illinois Class 7A state championship, where he caught six passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the state championship game. He finished the season with 58 receptions for 1,239 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning All-state honors from the Chicago Tribune and Champaign Gazette. Davis was also a state qualifier in the long jump (best of 7.29 meters or 23 feet, 11 inches), 4 × 100m (42.14 seconds) and 4 × 200m (1:27.82 minutes) in track & field as a junior. He also competed in sprints and posted personal-best times of 11.14 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.24 seconds in the 200-meter dash.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trackingfootball.com/players/titus-davis-9827/|title=Titus Davis|publisher=|access-date=May 9, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222145028/https://www.trackingfootball.com/players/titus-davis-9827/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==College career== Davis played at Central Michigan University from 2011 to 2014. For his career he had 204 receptions and broke school records with 3,700 yards and 37 touchdowns, both of which were previously held by Antonio Brown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/ct-titus-davis-nfl-draft-spt-0424-20150423-story.html|title=Wheaton's Titus Davis hopes nose for end zone pays off in NFL draft|author=Chicago Tribune|date=April 23, 2015|work=chicagotribune.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/03/03/confidence-pays-central-receiver-davis/24347511/|title=Confidence pays off for Central receiver Davis|date=March 3, 2015|work=Detroit News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/chippewas/index.ssf/2015/02/ex-central_michigan_receiver_t.html|title=Ex-Central Michigan receiver Titus Davis trying to prove himself at NFL combine|work=MLive.com|date=February 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themorningsun.com/sports/20141025/titus-davis-breaks-central-michigan-career-receiving-touchdowns-record-with-game-winning-score-as-chippewas-clip-buffalo-on-road|title=Titus Davis breaks Central Michigan career receiving touchdowns record with game-winning score as Chippewas clip Buffalo on road|publisher=}}</ref> Davis was a 4 time All-MAC selection and a freshman All American. He capped off his career at CMU scoring the ESPY nominated three-lateral TD with no time remaining against Western Kentucky in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl. Davis was the first player in NCAA FBS history with 8 or more receiving touchdowns in four seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cmuchippewas.com/sports/football/roster/titus-davis/834|title=Titus Davis|publisher=}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Pre-draft=== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 0 3/4 | weight = 196 | dash = 4.51 | ten split = 1.60 | twenty split = 2.65 | shuttle = 4.28 | cone drill = 7.14 | vertical = 32.5 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 11 | wonderlic = | arm span = 29 5/8 | hand span = 8 1/4 | note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |title=Titus Davis Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/titus-davis/32004441-5676-8844-86b3-98560ee19e58 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |website=NFL.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 NFL Draft Scout Titus Davis College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=95261&DraftYear=2015 |access-date=May 9, 2015 |website=DraftScout.com}}</ref> }}
===San Diego Chargers=== Immediately following the draft, Davis signed a free agent deal with the San Diego Chargers. On August 30, 2015, Davis was released from the San Diego Chargers.<ref>{{Cite web|title = WR Titus Davis, TE David Paulson among Chargers' 11 roster cuts|url = https://www.espn.com/blog/san-diego-chargers/post/_/id/12365/wr-titus-davis-te-david-paulson-among-chargers-11-roster-cuts|website = ESPN.com|date = August 31, 2015|access-date = January 29, 2016}}</ref>
===New York Jets=== On September 23, 2015, Davis was signed to the New York Jets practice squad.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Jets Sign Titus Davis to Reserve/Future Deal|url = http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-Titus-Davis-to-ReserveFuture-Deal/624918ad-ed41-4417-84aa-1a31a8eff6f3|website = www.newyorkjets.com|access-date = January 29, 2016|archive-date = January 29, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160129234100/http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-Titus-Davis-to-ReserveFuture-Deal/624918ad-ed41-4417-84aa-1a31a8eff6f3|url-status = dead}}</ref> On October 14, 2015, Davis was released.<ref name=":0" />
===Buffalo Bills=== On October 20, 2015, Davis was signed to the Buffalo Bills practice squad.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Buffalo Bills place WR Marquise Goodwin on Injured Reserve|url = http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2015/10/20/9573273/buffalo-bills-place-wr-marquise-goodwin-on-injured-reserve|website = Buffalo Rumblings|access-date = January 29, 2016|first = Brian|last = Galliford|date = October 20, 2015}}</ref> On November 9, 2015, Davis was released.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Inside The Bills {{!}} Bills add CB Seamster to practice squad|url = http://www.buffalobills.com/?campaign=buf:fanshare:facebook|access-date = January 29, 2016}}</ref>
===New York Jets (second stint)=== On November 16, 2015, Davis was signed to the New York Jets practice squad.<ref name=":0" /> On November 26, 2015, Davis was released.<ref name=":0" />
Davis signed a future/reserve contract on January 28, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jets Sign Titus Davis to Reserve/Future Deal|url=http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-Titus-Davis-to-ReserveFuture-Deal/624918ad-ed41-4417-84aa-1a31a8eff6f3|publisher=New York Jets|author=Lange, Randy|date=January 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302113517/http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-Titus-Davis-to-ReserveFuture-Deal/624918ad-ed41-4417-84aa-1a31a8eff6f3|archive-date=March 2, 2016|access-date=March 14, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Davis informed the team on August 6, 2016 that he no longer wanted to play football and abruptly retired.<ref>{{cite web|title=Titus Davis tells Jets he doesn't want to play anymore, retires at 23|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/jets-titus-davis-retires-at-training-camp-todd-bowles/fkf6ubqni9d11cfbqlcdf32sl|publisher=Sporting News|author=Gathier, Steve|date=August 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907030020/http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/jets-titus-davis-retires-at-training-camp-todd-bowles/fkf6ubqni9d11cfbqlcdf32sl|archive-date=September 7, 2016|access-date=September 6, 2016}}</ref>
===Chicago Bears=== On May 14, 2017, Davis was signed by the Chicago Bears after a tryout at their rookie minicamp.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-sign-wheaton-warrenville-south-alum-titus-davis/|title = Bears sign Wheaton-Warrenville South alum Titus Davis|date = May 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bears sign WR Titus Davis, older brother of 2017 Titans first-rounder Corey Davis|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/05/14/bears-sign-wr-titus-davis-older-brother-of-2017-first-rounder-corey-davis/|author=Alper, Josh|website=ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com|date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> He was waived by the Bears on September 2, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bears reach NFL's 53-man roster limit|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-reach-NFL%E2%80%99s-53-man-roster-limit/b7be2dbe-3ca1-44db-854c-c477b0c70377|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407195353/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-reach-NFL%E2%80%99s-53-man-roster-limit/b7be2dbe-3ca1-44db-854c-c477b0c70377|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 7, 2018|author=Mayer, Larry|website=ChicagoBears.com|date=September 2, 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== Davis was a father of two. His brother, Corey, is a former wide receiver who attended Western Michigan University and played for the Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets.<ref name=booher_11112020/>
By July 2020, Davis was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma, a rare kidney cancer. He died at age 27 on November 11, 2020.<ref name=booher_11112020>{{cite news |last1=Booher |first1=Christian |title=Titus Davis, CMU's all-time leading receiver, dies at 27 |url=https://www.cm-life.com/article/2020/11/central-michigan-university-all-time-leading-receiver-titus-davis-dies-at-27-renal-medullary-carcinoma-story |access-date=11 November 2020 |work=Central Michigan Life |date=11 November 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.cmuchippewas.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/titus_davis_895969.html Central Michigan Chippewas bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Titus}} Category:1993 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Players of American football from Wheaton, Illinois Category:American football wide receivers Category:Central Michigan Chippewas football players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Place of death missing Category:New York Jets players Category:Buffalo Bills players Category:Chicago Bears players Category:Deaths from kidney cancer in the United States