Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis played Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts the day after his brother, Titus Davis, died after his battle with cancer. Titus was 27.
Corey Davis, 25, said his older brother would have wanted him to play.Â
"As he was laying there all he kept telling my sister was to tell me to play, regardless of what happens," Davis said after the game, via the team's official website. "He just kept telling me to play, telling me to play throughout the whole process. That's my biggest fan. Since I was a little kid I was always chasing after him and trying to be like him. I wore his number every year to copy him. He thought it was annoying, but I looked up to him tremendously. That was my idol, my hero. I tried to honor him tonight."
Titus Davis was a star wideout at Central Michigan University from 2011-2014, where he broke school records with 3,700 yards and 37 touchdowns. He spent three years in several NFL offseason programs and practice squads. Davis was diagnosed with cancer in July 2020.
"It was heavy on my mind, every play," Corey Davis said. "But I just kept thinking this is what he wanted me to do. He wouldn't want me to be sad and sulk and feel sorry for myself. I obviously miss him and wish he was here, but I know he's in a better place and that he was with me today."
In the 34-17 blowout loss to the Colts, Davis was one of the few bright spots, catching five passes for 67 yards.
Teammates praised the former first-round pick for his ability to play through the emotional weight of losing his brother.
"He showed a lot of toughness," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said, via Kayla Anderson of WKRN-TV. "It's tough, the game is over but those feelings aren't gone. My heart goes out to Corey, I'm sick for him. I want him to know I love him and want the best for him."
