Obituary of Melvin Davis

Another member of the Buccaneer family has left us – “big” Melvin Davis died on Jan 10, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents Leola Davis; three brothers: Henry Davis, Jr. Howard Davis, and Donell Davis; two sisters: Stella Ann Richardson and Mary Ann Davis. Besides his wife Ann, Mel is survived by two brothers: Raymond (Alma) Davis and Charles (Paula) Davis, several nieces and nephews, and stepson Ealy.

Melvin was a big man with a big heart who graduated with the Class of 1971. Mel was a captain of the football team and was a superior athlete both in football and basketball. Newspaper articles always described him as “big” Melvin Davis because, at 6’7”, he was the tallest high school player in Corpus Christi. Those were the days when the Ray-Miller football game attracted over 18,000 fans in Buccaneer Stadium. Mel was all-district in both football and basketball at Miller. He signed to play at Texas A&M-Kingsville and later played at North Texas State University. In the 1976 NFL draft, he was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers as defensive end, playing alongside Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris. The Steelers record that season was 10-4 in the regular season, won the AFC Central division, and ended the season with a loss to the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs.

Mel was a “rock” for his wife, Ann Harris Bennett, also a Buc Alum and former Buc Cheerleader, who broke ground as the first Black woman to hold county-wide office in Harris County, Texas (Houston) as its Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar.