Eric Davis (American football)
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Anniston, Alabama, U.S.
 Davis in January 2010 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 25, 26 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | January 26, 1968 Anniston, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Anniston (Anniston, Alabama) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Jacksonville State | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1990: 2nd round, 53rd overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Eric Wayne Davis (born January 26, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Davis was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1990 NFL draft.[1] He played in NFL seasons from 1990 to 2002.
In 2008, he was elected to the Division II College Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Davis played for Jacksonville State, which was at the time a Division II school, from 1986 to 1989. As a senior, he led the team to a 13–1 record, a Gulf South Conference championship, and an appearance in the Division II championship game. He finished 1989 with 51 tackles, 8 pass deflections, and 6 interceptions.[2] He was voted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1999.[3]
NFL career
Davis is the all-time leader in consecutive NFL playoff games (five) with at least one interception.[4]
Davis was a pivotal player in the 1994 NFC Championship Game versus the Dallas Cowboys when he made two key plays early in the game: a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown on the game's third play from scrimmage[5] and a forced fumble on Michael Irvin that led to another 49ers touchdown.[6] These plays helped the 49ers beat the previous two-time champion Cowboys to advance to Super Bowl XXIX.[6] The 49ers went on to beat the San Diego Chargers 49–26.[7] In 1995, Davis went to the Pro Bowl and helped the 49ers be the number-one ranked defense.
In 1996, he became a free agent and signed with the Carolina Panthers,[8] helping them reach the NFC title game only to lose to eventual Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers.[9] After playing for one year (2001) with the Denver Broncos, in 2002, he ended his career with the Detroit Lions.[10]
