FORMER RAIDERS PRO QB DAVIDSON BEGAN CAREER AS GATESVILLE HORNET

Gatesville vs. Graham: Game Information--Texas State Quarterfinals

Most people know Davidson as a former American Football League quarterback who played at the direction of then head-coach Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders from 1962–68. Davidson, who was also the original quarterback for the Dallas Texans from 1960-62, was traded to the Raiders when Hank Stram moved the Texans to Kansas City, becoming the present day Chiefs.

Davidson's pro-football career began as a first round draft pick by the National Football League's Baltimore Colts in 1954 where, in addition to playing quarterback, he also was a placekicker and punter. It has been reported that Davidson had never seen a professional football game until he played in his first, starting as the punter in a preseason contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Davidson(19)

In the winter of 1955, Davidson's career was interrupted. He was drafted by the U.S. Army and reported to basic training in Fort Carson, Co. Eight weeks later he shipped out to Fort Bliss where, like many other professional athletes, he spent his military stint playing football. He was named All-Army Quarterback in 1955. In 1957, He was discharged from the Army.

Davidson returned to the Colts to find eventual Hall of Fame star Johnny Unitas had filled the starting role as quarterback. Davidson saw that he would be unable to break into the starting line up and requested a trade to Calgary in the Canadian League where he sustained a shoulder injury that cut short his Canadian football career.

In 1959, Davidson joined his college alma mater Baylor to help head coach John Bridges install the Colt offense. Shortly after his arrival at Baylor, Davidson, whose shoulder injury had healed, received a call from Lamar Hunt in 1960. Hunt asked him to join the Dallas Texans of the American Football League, he accepted the invitation. He won eight games his first year with the Texans, and the following year he was MVP of the AFL All-Star Game.

Shoulder injuries forced Davidson to retire from action on the field in 1968, but Davidson scouted for for Davis until he returned to Baylor, where he spent 22 years on Grant Teaff’s coaching staff.

Baylor v.Houston 1952

In Davidson's college years, He capped off a four year run at Baylor with an MVP award for his play in the East/West Shrine Game in 1954.

Born on November 30, 1931, Davidson began playing football in elementary school, eventually becoming a star athlete for the Gatesville High School Hornets, playing for the squad from 1948-50.

Photo: Tim Orwig

As for the nickname "Cotton", In Davidson's youth people looked at him, saw a head full of white hair and yammered out the name cotton. It served him well since he didn't really like his name.

Everyone calls him Cotton!

Not bad for a fella named Francis Marion Davidson who hailed from a rural central Texas town called Gatesville located in Coryell County.

Davidson continues to be active in the local community and helped start the Boys & Girls Club in Gatesville. He supports it with a celebrity golf tournament featuring retired players like Walt Garrison, Bob Lilly, Randy White and Roger Staubach.

It has also been reported that Davidson is a fan of a fellow quarterback from Coryell County who went to Baylor and on to the NFL, Robert Griffin III of Copperas Cove.

Gatesville vs. Graham: Game Information--Texas State Quarterfinals