ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- December 6th may just be a Wednesday to some, but in Elmira, it's officially considered Ernie Davis Day. At Ernie Davis Day, community members and local officials gathered at the Clemens Center to talk about Davis and watch the movie 'The Express', which is based on Davis' football career.

"I always had a love for Ernie Davis ever since I was a little kid. When I found out about the Ernie Davis Scholarship, I wanted to do something that was going to bring his name to light all the time, not just once for the scholarship. I think it's so important that every year, a day is his," said the Creator of Ernie Davis Day, Izzy Griffin.

Griffin was a previous nominee for the Ernie Davis Scholarship and developed a petition for the creation of Ernie Davis Day.

"Izzy Griffin had approached me about a year ago. She was working on a project, and she had gotten [a] petition together to proclaim December 6th as Ernie Davis Day in the City of Elmira. After working with her, we got all the information we needed to get the proclamation written up. We did the proclamation last year in January, and today (Dec. 6th) is the first Ernie Davis Day in Elmira," said Mayor Dan Mandell.

Mandell said he learned a lot about Davis because his mom went to school with him.

"Even when he came down with leukemia, he didn't say 'woe is me'. He kept moving forward. He protected those who were bullied at times. It just showed what his character was," said Mayor Mandell.

Ernie Davis moved to Elmira when he was 12 and was a tri-athlete; playing baseball, basketball, and football at Elmira Free Academy. Later in his career, Davis earned the nickname "The Elmira Express" and was the first African American to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1961. 

According to the Heisman website, Davis was recruited by many top colleges but was talked into coming to Syracuse by Jim Brown. Davis rushed for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore for the Orange and earned the first of three All-American selections. Davis helped his team beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl by scoring two touchdowns to win a national title.

During the 1960 season, Davis had 877 rushing yards with an average of 7.8 yards per carry, which set the stage for a shot at the Heisman in 1961. In his senior year, Davis had 823 rushing yards and scored 15 touchdowns while leading 'Cuse in pass receiving with 16 catches for 157 yards.

Davis was the overall first-round pick in the NFL draft in 1961. He was selected by the Washington Redskins before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. However, he passed away from Leukemia in 1963, before he ever had the chance to play a professional down. The legacy of his talent and character lives on in Elmira, 60 years later.

"I think today for our community, all youth and, and all over the world, we're challenged in many ways. No matter what the difficulty is, I think it's important to have heroes. I think it's important to have hope as you work towards it and work towards achieving that goal. I often say there are four things to remember; Just keep getting up. Keep dressing up, keep showing up, and like Ernie Davis, never give up," said Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Opportunity Program, Andrea Ogunwumi.

A replica of the Heisman Trophy was gifted to EOP from Davis' mom after he passed away. Mayor Mandell hopes the city can put up a museum in honor of Davis and also put his face on a postage stamp in the future.