Former Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis is dead at 35.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Vontae Davis,” The Bills organization said in a statement Monday. “We are thinking of his friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.”
WSVN News in Miami said Davis was found dead Monday in a suburban Miami home registered to his grandmother. Foul play is reportedly not suspected. Town of Davie, Fla., officials haven’t returned a request for comment.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay also shared his condolences on social media: “Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Vontae Davis. A great guy, teammate, player. My prayers to Vontae’s family.”
Davis was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft before being traded to the Colts in 2012. He enjoyed a solid stretch in Indianapolis that included two Pro Bowl appearances before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 2018. His final NFL appearance came later that year when he surprisingly retired at halftime during a Bills game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Davis later explained it had suddenly occurred to him during that game: “I don’t belong on that field anymore.”
Before going pro, Davis was a star at the University of Illinois, which recruited him from his Washington, D.C., high school.
“We lost a great one today,” University of Illinois basketball coach Chester Frazier posted on social media Monday.
Broadcaster and former Colts punter Pat McAfee remembered Davis as a “an incredibly cool dude” on Monday’s “Pat McAfee Show.”
The NFL mourned its former Pro-Bowler’s death on X.
“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,” the league posted.
Davis had a brush with the law in February 2023 when he was arrested on a DUI charge after the Tesla he was driving hit a parked truck. He pleaded to reckless driving in November and was sentenced to 12-months probation, according to TMZ.