Texas College Football Player William Davis Dies at 22

The Bearkats program said Davis was a 'beloved member' of the team, with coaches and teammates mourning the sudden loss of the young athlete.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 5/19/2026, 8:04:23 AM EDT

Texas College Football Player William Davis Dies at 22 — Footballs sit on the field prior to the start of their game between the Mississippi Rebels and the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Oct. 11, 2014. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

William Davis, a defensive back who had just joined the Sam Houston State University football program ahead of the 2026 season, died Saturday. He was 22. No cause of death or location was provided.

Davis, a graduate senior from South Boston, Virginia, was entering what would have been his seventh college season—a journey that had taken him from Division II Virginia Union to West Virginia and, most recently, to Huntsville, Texas, where he hoped to cap his playing career as a Bearkat.

"It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis," head coach Phil Longo said in a statement released by the program. "Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew. Will was an upbeat, positive, passionate young man who will be sincerely missed. Tanya, the kids and I are praying for Will's family during this difficult time."

Davis began his college career at Virginia Union in 2020, though he did not appear in a game during his first two seasons. He broke through beginning in 2022, starting 19 of the 36 games he played for the Panthers over three seasons, according to his career stats. By the time he left, he had accumulated 115 tackles—25 of them for loss—along with four sacks and nine interceptions.

He transferred to West Virginia for the 2025 season, appearing in one game for the Mountaineers, a season-opening victory over Robert Morris. Davis then announced in January that he would transfer to Sam Houston, and he participated in the Bearkats' spring practice ahead of the 2026 season.

It was a path that brought him under Longo, who was named Sam Houston's 16th head football coach in December 2024. Longo, who previously served as the Bearkats' offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016, returned to Huntsville after seven seasons coordinating offenses at Ole Miss, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Sam Houston Director of Athletics Bobby Williams shared a statement on behalf of the entire program.

"We lost a member of our Bearkat family this weekend and everyone is in pain today," Williams said in a statement. "My heart hurts right now for the family, friends, coaches and teammates of William Davis. We are never prepared when we lose someone suddenly in our lives and it's especially tough when it is someone so young and still has a full life in front of them. I want to express my sincerest condolences to Will's family and everyone whose lives he touched."