The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets will be facing each other for a Week 5 matchup on Sunday, October 16. However, both teams will be mourning the loss of one of their former players heading into the game.
According to the Jeffress Funeral Home in South Boston, Virginia, former Packers and Jets tight end Tyrone Davis died on October 2, 2022, at the age of 50. After being drafted by the Jets and playing for them for two seasons, he spent the remainder of his career in Green Bay.
The obituary did not name the cause of death.
Remembering Tyrone Davis
Born in Halifax, Virginia, Davis went to high school at Halifax County before moving to Fork Union Military Academy, according to his obituary. He then went to college at the University of Virginia, where he quickly became a dynamic wide receiver for the Cavaliers.
Davis was a four-year contributor at wide receiver for Virginia, playing in 44 games over that time. He caught 103 passes during his college career for 2,153 yards and 28 touchdowns, leading the ACC as a senior with 10 receiving touchdowns and 18.2 yards per catch. He left Virginia as the school record holder for career receiving touchdowns.
“I’ll tell you, he was an imposing figure,” Virginia recruiter Danny Wilmer told Virginia Athletics reporter Jerry Ratcliffe as part of a lengthy tribute to Davis. “If you were on defense, he would put the fear of God in you. He had all the tools you would want for a wide receiver.”
After a successful college career, Davis was taken in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Jets. However, he had a limited impact in New York, only catching one pass as a rookie before switching to tight end in his second year.
Just before the 1997 season, Davis was traded to the Packers, where he had a much more significant impact over the years. He played in Green Bay from 1997 through 2002, catching 71 passes for 780 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season. He was also part of the team that reached the 1998 Super Bowl but fell to the Denver Broncos.
After three straight productive seasons from 1998 to 2000, Davis was placed on injured reserve with a torn hamstring in 2001. He was eventually released by the team in the 2003 preseason but finished his NFL career having played in 75 regular season games and a Super Bowl appearance.
According to his obituary, in addition to a football player he was a “beloved son, father, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend” and a member of the Union Grove C.M.E. Church in his hometown of South Boston, Virginia. In 2012 he was inducted into the local Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame, the obituary says.
Ratcliffe wrote on October 4 that Davis died of “an undisclosed illness.” Davis’ older brother Jeff shared the news on Facebook, Ratcliffe reported.
“Last night, the Lord opened up heaven and received my baby brother. This is definitely a tough one for me as this was very unexpected,” Jeff Davis wrote, according to Ratcliffe.
“Tyrone caught many touchdowns in the NCAA and NFL. Last night, he made the ultimate touchdown completion! Take your rest lil bro. Your race is now complete. Big bro loves you!!”
Ratcliffe reported on October 6 that sources said Davis died of “kidney issues.”
Latest Packers News
While the Packers family mourns the loss of Davis, the team is still preparing to bounce back from a tough loss to the New York Giants with a strong outing on Sunday.
Packers fans will be keeping a close eye on Aaron Rodgers, who revealed that he suffered a thumb injury at the end of the Week 4 loss in London. The future Hall of Fame quarterback said that he didn’t think it would be an issue, but Sunday will show fans whether or not it’s a problem.
The locker room was also dealing with some additional friction following the loss after Rodgers called out Jaire Alexander for his mentality immediately following the game. Players were understandably frustrated after a disappointing performance, but if the locker room doesn’t stay together, then things could unravel quickly over the next few weeks.
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Former Packers Tight End Dead at 50: Report