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The 2009 Miami Dolphins first-round pick played three seasons for Miami before being traded to Indianapolis
Vontae Davis, who played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins after being a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft, died Monday at the age of 35.
Davis’ death was confirmed by the David Police Department, according to NFL.com. Police said that officers responded to a medical call after a house assistant found Davis deceased. Preliminary information suggests that foul play was not involved in Davis’ death, according to police.
Former Colts teammates Pat McAfee and Darius Butler discussed Davis’ passing on McAfee’s YouTube show. Colts owner Jim Irsay also posted a message on social media, expressing his “extreme sadness” and calling Davis, “a great guy, teammate, player.”
Police said no foul play is involved and the investigation is ongoing, according to TMZ.
VONTAE DAVIS’ DOLPHINS CAREERDavis, whose older brother Vernon was a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, was the 25th overall pick in the 2009 draft and started 36 of the 44 games he played for Miami.
He recorded nine interceptions for the Dolphins, including four in 2009 and 2011, and returned one for a touchdown. Beyond that, Davis brought a physicality to the cornerback position that is rarely seen.
Davis, though, fell out of favor with the Dolphins and he was traded to the Colts in the summer of 2012. His trade produced a much-discussed scene during the Dolphins’ appearance on “Hard Knocks” that year.
For Davis, the Dolphins got second- and sixth-round picks in the 2013 draft, though the conditional sixth-round selection never was exercised. With the second-round pick, the Dolphins selected another cornerback, Jamar Taylor from Boise State.
Davis went on to play six seasons for the Colts and earned his only career Pro Bowl invitation in 2014. His career ended on a strange note when he left the Buffalo Bills in 2018 at halftime of their Week 2 game against the L.A. Chargers after he had been inactive for their opener.
He later released a statement explaining his decision, “Today on the field, reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn’t be out there anymore. It’s more important for me and my family to walk away healthy than to willfully embrace the warrior mentality and limp away too late.”
Source : Sports Illustrated