A Halo for a Helmet

by k coralee burch

Overview

One of the most beloved and greatest athletes of all time, Ernie Davis, died at the age of 23 of acute leukemia after being the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. His complete story (no where else available) is full of entertaining episodes of humor and goodness both on the football field and off. Ernie, born black, poor, and hardly able to speak as a child, due to extreme stuttering, showed the world how to live, how to succeed and how to overcome every obstacle, but the final one... death. Still he showed us how to live, not die and his short life did not cheat us but blessed us with a role model that has surpassed every other athlete before and after him. Ernie's story is also a racial history of the 50s in sports, in the North and throughout the country, reminding us that only a short time ago, we were still confused about where excellence could be found. All who knew him and all who read his story will agree that he can make us laugh, cry and believe again in goodness.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013777378
Publisher:	kcoralee
Publication date:	12/13/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	229
File size:	201 KB

About the Author

K. Coralee Burch, professor, artist, and writer, grew up in Elmira and attended school with Ernie Davis. She was a cheerleader during his victorious year as a senior and attended Syracuse University where Ernie earned his Heisman Trophy. After living and studying abroad for eight years, she returned to the U.S. and started writing profusely for magazines. It was at this time that she realized that no one had told Ernie's story and began a trip of 35 years, interviewing, researching and dedicating herself to making his story come to life, so that others, besides those who had benefited from growing up with the inspiration of an Ernie Davis could know him and gain from his influence. Dr. Burch lives parttime in upstate NY and parttime in Florida, painting and writing. She lectures on many self improvement topics, but also goes into schools, libraries and bookstores to speak about the "wonderful life of Ernie Davis". In particular she likes to speak with young people about how to be a true hero in spite of the obstacles in your world, using Ernie Davis as an example.

Editorial Reviews

Just finished a Halo for a Helmet and it was great to say the least. The 35 year effort Coralee put in on the book certainly paid off. It's too bad that the producers of the movie "The Elmira Express" took so many liberties with the truth. It was an insult to this great man and his achievements on and off the field. Sometimes just the truth is more exciting and interesting than the made up drama that so many movies portray.

Allen Packard

"A Halo For A Helmet: The Whole Story of Ernie Davis" by Coralee Burch, is a must read for anyone familiar with the life of the legendary football player. Ernie Davis was recently brought back to the public's memory with a feature film on his life that came out a few years ago, and other books have been written by him, but Dr. Burch's book on Mr. Davis offers the reader a unique point of view, backed up by years of research and interviews with those who knew him best. Although Ernie Davis may be

Future Groove Dave

I've just finished reading A Halo for a Helmet and even though I knew the outcome, I cried. This is a testament to the wonderful story-telling ability of K. Coralee Burch.

Once you start reading, it's hard to put the book down.

She makes the characters come alive and paints a true picture of the times during which Ernie Davis lived and how he handled the prejudice he encountered. As someone who also grew up during that time period, it all rang true to me. It would have been a

Ginger Cat

This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of college football, the struggle of African American athletes, and maybe most important, the story of a great man who battled through it all with a dignity that is summarized by the title of the book.

The distinguishing feature of this book is that it is told from a personal perspective and based on several interviews of people who best knew Ernie Davis. The conversation style of the book makes it flow like a novel, so it is a

Princeton Cuse

I just finished reading Coralee Burch's book. I didn't want to put the book down when reading this wonderful book. When I finished this book, I felt that Ernie Davis was a friend to me and all of the people who had contact with him. What a wonderful person he was. He must have made his mother proud to be such a great athlete and human being. Read this book and then watch the movie "The Express"... great movie too.

Rebecca Fannon