Cotton Davidson (born 1931)

Former AFL and NFL quarterback

What is Cotton Davidson (born 1931) known for?

Francis Marion "Cotton" Davidson, born on November 30, 1931 in Gatesville, Texas, is a revered alumnus of Gatesville High School. Known as a prominent American football player, Davidson made significant career accomplishments in both the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL).

Davidson's football career began at Baylor University, and he later played professionally for several teams, including the NFL's Baltimore Colts in 1954 and 1957, and the AFL's Dallas Texans from 1960 to 1962 and the Oakland Raiders from 1962 to 1968. As a testament to his versatility, Davidson played as a quarterback, punter, and placekicker.

In 1954, Davidson was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. However, his football career took a brief hiatus as he was drafted by the U.S. Army after the 1954 NFL season. During his military service, Davidson continued to contribute to the sport by playing quarterback for the Fort Bliss Falcons from 1955 to 1957, even earning the All-Army Quarterback title in 1955.

Upon his return to professional football, he notably became the first starting quarterback for the Dallas Texans. Davidson ended up being traded to the Oakland Raiders after the 1962 season opener, furthering his professional career.

Davidson holds the unfortunate record for the lowest career completion percentage in NFL history, with a minimum of 1500 passing attempts, at 43.9%. Despite this, he participated in the American Football League All-Star Game twice - in 1961 and 1963. He was also the MVP of the 1961 AFL All-Star Game while playing with the Texans. Overall, he made 73 touchdowns and 108 interceptions with a passer rating of 54.9. He also achieved 11,760 passing yards and 10,679 punting yards with an average punt of 38.1.

However, all good things must come to an end. After a long and illustrious career, Davidson passed away at the age of 91 on December 23, 2022, in Waco, Texas, leaving behind a legacy of his athletic prowess and dedication to the sport.

For more details on his career statistics, you can visit his player stats on NFL.com or Pro Football Reference.