Willie Davenport (2005) - Hall of Fame - Southwestern Athletic Conference

Hall of Fame

Collegiate Career at Southern University

After his military service (he was discharged in 1965) Davenport enrolled at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
While at Southern, he excelled in track & field — particularly the 110 m hurdles — and used the GI Bill to attend college.
During his time with Southern’s track program he won multiple national titles (via the AAU) in the high hurdles: outright champion in 1965, 1966, 1967; tied in 1969.
His enrollment at Southern helped him transition from Army athlete to collegiate competition, setting the stage for his international success.

Olympic & International Career

Davenport competed in four Summer Olympics for the United States in the 110 m hurdles: 1964 (Tokyo), 1968 (Mexico City), 1972 (Munich), 1976 (Montreal).
In 1968 in Mexico City, he won the gold medal in the 110 m hurdles with an Olympic record time of 13.3 seconds.
In the 1972 Olympics he finished 4th.
In 1976 he earned the bronze medal in the 110 m hurdles.
Beyond the Summer Games, Davenport made history by also competing in the Winter Olympics: in 1980, he was a member of the U.S. bobsled team, making him one of the very few U.S. track & field athletes to compete in both Summer and Winter editions.

Service, Coaching & Later Life

Davenport had an athletic career tied to the U.S. Army/National Guard. After his competitive career he returned to the Army system and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Army National Guard.
He became coach of the All-Army men’s and women’s track & field teams, leading them to four undefeated seasons from 1993-1996.