Joe Davidson (American football)

Joseph Burl Davidson (January 24, 1903 – May 14, 1982) was an American football player.

Early years
Davidson was born in 1903 in Durand, Michigan. He attended Ovid High School in Michigan and then enrolled at Colgate University. He played college football for Colgate in 1924 and for Oklahoma A&M in 1926. He also played lacrosse at Colgate.

Professional football
Davidson also played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a guard and center for the Chicago Cardinals (1928) and Newark Tornadoes (1930). He appeared in 12 NFL games, eight as a starter. He was a roommate of Jim Thorpe while playing with the Cardinals.

Later years
After his football career ended, Davidson worked for 12 years for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Illinois as a forester and wildlife technician. He became superintendent of game management for the Illinois Department of Conservation stating in 1945 and held that position until 1953. He moved to Tyler, Texas, in approximately 1960. He worked as a wildlife biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He died in 1982 at a hospital in Dallas, Texas.