Sam Houston State defensive back William Davis, 22, has died, the university confirmed as the Bearkats and coach Phil Longo mourned the loss. Davis had transferred to Sam Houston State after playing at Virginia Union and briefly for the West Virginia Mountaineers, and he had recently finished a master’s degree at West Virginia. The program and his teammates are grappling with the news while details about what happened remain private.
The Sam Houston State program released word of Davis’ death Sunday through head coach Phil Longo, who spoke for a grieving team and staff. The short statement made clear how much Davis meant to the roster and to the people around him. The news hit during a period when Davis was preparing to compete for a place in the secondary and to settle into life at his new school.
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis,” Longo said in a statement. “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, where he appeared in 19 games and produced five interceptions and one touchdown. He moved on to West Virginia after the 2024 season and saw action in one game for the Mountaineers. Those stops on his path reflect a player who kept working for opportunity and who drew interest from programs because of his ball skills and competitive drive.
After graduating from West Virginia in 2025 with a master of science in sports management, Davis chose to continue his playing career at Sam Houston State. He said he felt a connection to the campus and to the coaching staff when he decided to transfer. His decision was shaped by both the academic credential he finished and the chance to compete in a new environment away from his Virginia roots.
“Sam Houston felt like home from the moment I first set foot on campus,” he said, via Nilson Sports. “As a Virginia kid that had played every snap of football in my life within driving distance of home, it was important to me that I’d play somewhere where I fit seamlessly into the culture if I was going to be so distant geographically. The ability to play for Coach Dovonte Edwards, someone with experience playing in the NFL that can show me the blueprint of what it looks like to become the type of player who can achieve success at the highest level, was a motivating factor for me as well.”
Those words now read like a young athlete laying out a clear plan: finish school, find the right team culture, and learn from coaches with the pedigree to take his game further. Teammates and coaches have described Davis as upbeat and passionate, the kind of teammate who lifts practice and brings intensity to meetings. His trajectory suggested he was eager to build again, chasing the next chance to show what he could do on the field.
The university has not released a cause of death. In the hours after the announcement, the Sam Houston community has gathered around the family and the program in private and public displays of condolence. As the Bearkat program processes the loss, the focus has been on supporting those closest to Davis and honoring what he meant to the group that welcomed him to Huntsville and to Sam Houston State.
