Sports

In brief

Army's 'Mr. Outside,' Glenn Davis, dies at 80

By wire services
Published March 10, 2005

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Glenn Davis, the Heisman Trophy-winning "Mr. Outside" on Army's national championship football teams of the mid 1940s, died Wednesday of complications from prostate cancer at his home in La Quinta, Calif., his son Ralph told the Los Angeles Times. He was 80.

A 5-foot-9, 170-pound halfback, Davis teamed with fullback Felix " Doc" Blanchard, "Mr. Inside," as the U.S. Military Academy became a college football power. Both were honored a year ago as co-winners of the Doak Walker Legends Award at Southern Methodist University.

Blanchard won a Heisman in 1945 and Davis the next year, when he also was voted the Associated Press male athlete of the year, the first football player to be so honored.

Davis' career average of 8.3 yards a carry remains the major-college record. He finished with 2,957 yards rushing, Blanchard with 1,908 as Army posted a 27-0-1 record during their time as teammates.

Recognized as one of the finest all-around athletes to come out of Southern California, Davis also played baseball and ran track. In 51 baseball games for Army, he batted .403 and stole 64 bases in 65 attempts, including second, third and home in an exhibition against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Rickey, then-Dodger president, offered Davis $75,000 to sign.

As good an athlete as he was, he was no whiz as a student. He graduated 305th of 310.

Davis was sought by both professional football and Hollywood, however. He and Blanchard were offered $20,000 apiece to star in The Spirit of West Point during a postgraduate furlough. But while filming a football scene, Davis made a cut, twisted his right knee and collapsed with what he later said were torn ligaments "It was the end of me," he said.

After fulfilling a three-year military commitment, Davis resigned his commission. He played with the Los Angeles Rams for two seasons, taping and bracing his shaky knee, but was never the running back he had been at West Point.

Still, his pro career was hardly a bust. In the 1950 championship game against the Cleveland Browns, he gained 416 yards, averaging 4.7 a carry.

Mr. Davis also is survived by his wife, Yvonne, a stepson and a sister.

EX-SOONER DIES: Former Oklahoma fullback Buck McPhail, who helped clear the way for Heisman winner Billy Vessels, died of hardening of the arteries in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 75.

DOG RACING: Sorlie keeps lead in Iditarod

Norwegian Robert Sorlie held his lead in the Iditarod Sled Dog race, followed by the two mushers who trailed him in his 2003 victory: Ramy Brooks and Jeff King. Sorlie, 47, was first out of the Ophir checkpoint for the 90-mile run to the long-abandoned mining town of Iditarod. Rachael Scdoris, a legally blind musher who is trying to make history by completing the race, was 72nd.

DERBY LANE: The field of 32 was cut in half for the $100,000 Distance Classic, with Descartes, It's Dust Em, J's Habanero and Sure Do Shine tying for most points. Favorite Non Stop Fun, the season's wins leader, was eliminated. The semifinals are Saturday night.

OLYMPICS: Armstrong backs Paris

Cycling star Lance Armstronghas endorsed Paris instead of New York for the 2012 Summer Games. "I think they were arguably the best candidate in 2008 but for different reasons Paris didn't win, and they went to Beijing," Armstrong said. He acknowledged he was torn over the decision, and that his heart was with New York given "everything they went through the last four-five years." But he added: "If they don't win in 2012, they could win in 2016."

SOCCER: U.S. women top France

Christie Welsh scored in her tournament debut to give the United States a 1-0 victory over France in the Algarve Cup at Ferreiras, Portugal, its first game since longtime stars Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett retired. The defending champion Americans next face Finland on Friday.

PENALTIES: Albania joined Costa Rica in being penalized for their fans' unruly behavior. FIFA ordered both teams to play upcoming World Cup qualifiers behind closed doors.

ET CETERA

SAILING: Mark Mendleblatt, a newcomer to the Star Class, is in first place overall after four days of racing in the 2005 Bacardi Cup on Biscayne Bay.

CYCLING: Spain's Vicente Reynes got his first professional victory in the third stage of the Paris-Nice race.

HORSES: High Limit, the early 5-2 favorite, drew the No. 3 post position in the nine-horse field for Saturday's $600,000 Louisiana Derby.

[Last modified March 10, 2005, 01:15:14]

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