Former WVU nickel/safety William Davis passed away Saturday at the age of 22, as announced Sunday in a press release from Sam Houston State head coach Phil Longo. Read more: Former WVU Football player William Davis passes away at 22.
WVU Football recognized Davis on their official social media accounts Monday morning.
“West Virginia Football is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Mountaineer William Davis. He brought a positive light to those around him and was a great teammate,” said WVU Football in its post.
No official cause of death has been released at this time.
About Davis
Davis was a native of South Boston, Virginia. He played high school football at Halifax County High School.
After high school, Davis began his collegiate football career at the Division II level with Virginia Union. Virginia Union University is a historically black university.
Davis spent five years with the team. He did not see action in 2020 due to COVID and redshirted in 2021.
Davis saw action in 36 games from 2022 to 2024 with Virginia Union. He graduated from Virginia Union in 2024 with a degree in entrepreneurial management.
In 2025, Davis transferred to WVU for his redshirt senior season. He played one season for the Mountaineers. His lone appearance with West Virginia was in the home opener against Robert Morris.
Davis earned a Master’s of Science in Sports Management in 2025 at WVU.
In January, Davis chose to transfer from WVU to Sam Houston University for his final year of eligibility. Davis was expected to be an impactful player on the roster.
Davis recently wrapped up spring practice with Sam Houston in April.
It’s clear Davis made an immediate impact in his short time with Sam Houston, as coach Longo said in his statement that “Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew.”
Honors and statistics
Davis received All-CIAA honors in 2024. That season, he recorded 56 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and one sack.
In Davis’s time with Virginia Union, the team won back-to-back CIAA championships in 2023 and 2024.
Virginia Union defeated Fayetteville State University 21-10 in the 2023 title game. It was the team’s first CIAA Title in 22 years. In the 2024 title game, they defeated Virginia State University 17-13.
Despite making one appearance for West Virginia, Davis did not record any stats as a Mountaineer.
We here at WV Sports Nation would like to offer our condolences to Davis’s family and friends during this difficult time.
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