Vernon Davis traumatized by death of brother Vontae Davis, reveals possible cause of death: “Don’t know what to make of it”

Vernon Davis is struggling to find words to express his grief after the unexpected passing of his younger brother, Vontae Davis. During an exclusive interview with Ben Ashford of DailyMail.com, the former All-Pro tight end shared:

“This thing definitely caught me by surprise. I just don’t know what to make of it.”

On April 1, 2024, Vontae, a former cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills, passed away at his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida. The two-time Pro Bowler had played in the NFL for ten seasons. According to his older brother, he collapsed or slipped after stepping out of a sauna.

Upon finding his body lying motionless on the floor, a housekeeper immediately alerted the authorities. After conducting an initial investigation, they found no evidence of foul play. Adding to this, Vernon Davis stated:

“I’m leaning on the detectives to figure it out but right now we have no answers. They are going to run tests and they said they’ll get back to us. ‘It could be as long as a month, a month and a half, until we know anything.”

Despite being selected by the Dolphins in the first round (25th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft, Vontae Davis ultimately found success with the Colts, receiving consecutive Pro Bowl nods in 2014 and 2015.

Despite entering the league with high expectations as a defensive back, he made a sudden decision to quit at halftime during the Buffalo Bills’ Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018. He announced that he was finished and never returned to play in the NFL.

Despite being met with disapproval from his teammates, the younger Davis found a way to justify his abrupt retirement when he was given the opportunity to explain his decision.

“Reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn’t be out there anymore.”

Despite his successful playing career, Vontae Davis has encountered legal issues with his wellness company. In November 2023, Greenwoods Equipment Finance filed a claim stating that Davis’ company failed to make monthly payments for a device that promised “no-cut facelifts.”

Former NFL player Vontae Davis diagnosed with CTE by ex-wife

Megan Harpe, Davis’ former wife, sent a text message that stated:

“Yes he had CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) … there is definitely a story here.”

However, he refused to acknowledge any worries about his older brother suffering from a brain injury. As stated by Vernon Davis:

“Maybe that’s the case, maybe it’s not. We don’t really have an answer to that because there is no way to see into our brain while we live”

Despite his successful NFL career, Vernon Davis, who retired in February 2020 after playing for 14 seasons, did share that his brother was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder during their childhood. He also added that his younger brother did not display any indications of drug use.

Although there is no definitive evidence that Vontae Davis had CTE, he was discovered sleeping on a Florida highway after colliding his Tesla with a Toyota truck. The driver of the truck had pulled over to change a tire. Davis had been driving home from a club and had fallen asleep behind the wheel.

Upon being questioned by the authorities, he acknowledged consuming alcohol. Following a no contest plea, he was placed on 12-month probation and assigned 50 hours of community service.