Vontae Davis, the former Miami Dolphins first-round pick who spent 10 years in the NFL, has died. Davis was 35. His body was said to be found in the Broward County home belonging to his grandmother, Adaline Davis.
Ex-Miami Dolphins CB Vontae Davis Has Died
The Miami Dolphins mid-afternoon Monday expressed their condolences on social media.
WSVN, Miami’s Fox affiliate, was the first to report locally on the death investigation. The outlet, citing sources, said that a male was found deceased in the residence and that there was no sign of foul play.
Meanwhile, news of Davis’ passing spread quickly on social media, with Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay — who traded for Davis in 2012 — among those to express sympathy.
“Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Vontae Davis,” Irsay wrote on X. “A great guy, teammate, player. My prayers to Vontae’s family.🙏”
We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of former Dolphins CB Vontae Davis and extend our deepest condolences to his family & loved ones during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/mB1kYUpZqQ
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins)
Added wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, a South Florida native who was Davis’ teammate for six years in Indianapolis:
“We just was on FT a couple weeks ago. I sill can’t believe you gone. I don’t wanna believe you gone! My head hurt so bad. 😢😢😢 RIP VD”
Pat McAfee and Darius Butler, former teammates of Davis in Indianapolis, remembered him during a segment on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday afternoon.
Rest In Peace Vontae Davis#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/5ABxnfLOcQ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 1, 2024
Davis, the brother of former San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, was a two-time Pro Bowler for the Colts, who acquired him in training camp before the 2012 season.
Davis had fallen out of favor with the Dolphins brass that summer and the team’s decision to deal him was a dramatic subplot to that season’s Hard Knocks.
Davis was close with his grandmother and asked if he could speak to her before then-general manager Jeff Ireland could finish informing him he would be dealt.
Vontae Davis getting traded to the Colts while on Hard Knocks pic.twitter.com/i5ZYhol06t
— boxingfan333 (@boxingfan3333) April 1, 2024
But what Davis, unfortunately, might best be known for is his decision to retire from football at halftime of a Week 2 game in 2018. Earlier in the year, he signed a one-year deal with Buffalo but realized he no longer wanted to play the game — and bowed out for good at intermission of the Bills-Chargers game.
Davis had some fun at his own expense the next year in an ad campaign for FanDuel, saying the following: “Why did I walk away? Not because it was easy. I mean, the game is all I know. You think back to your draft, it feels like a fantasy. But the second you know you can’t compete anymore, you owe it to yourself, to your team, to find a fresh start. So yeah, that’s why I did it. That’s why I walked away … from my fantasy league.”
Davis, in 10 NFL seasons, recorded 22 interceptions and 97 passes defensed.
