Bob Davenport

Bob Davenport (April 30, 1933 – July 3, 2024) was an American football player and coach.

Biography Davenport was raised in Long Beach, California, and played college football at the fullback position for the UCLA Bruins football team. He was selected by the Football Writers Association of America as a first-team player on its 1954 College Football All-America Team.

Davenport declined an offer from the Cleveland Browns as they held Sunday sporting events that contradicted his Christian commitment to observing the Lord's Day. He instead played professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union—a forerunner of the Canadian Football League (CFL)—in 1956 and 1957.

Davenport served as the head football coach at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana from 1958 to 1968. He led the Taylor Trojans to four consecutive Hoosier Conference titles, from 1961 to 1964. In 1969, he was appointed to the new-created position of director of university-church leadership training at Taylor.

Davenport later became a competitive cycler. He died in Upland, Indiana on July 3, 2024, at the age of 91.

Head coaching record