Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
Dual-sport sensation Nate Davis electrified Seiberling Gymnasium more than nearly every other men’s basketball player in school history. With his thunderous dunks and game-altering blocked shots, he leapt his way into the hearts of the ‘Berg faithful and into the annals of ‘Berg history.
Davis was a five-time All-American for Heidelberg track and field, capping his illustrious career by capturing both the indoor and outdoor national high jump titles in 2013 -- the only athlete in school history to accomplish the feat.
At the 2013 indoor championship meet and fresh off of a First Team All-OAC performance on the hardwood, Davis cleared the bar at 7 ¼ on his second attempt to earn top honors. For outdoors, with time to properly train, he was the lone competitor to clear 6-11 ½.
In total, Davis was a six-time OAC champion and still holds the indoor and outdoor records in the high jump.
During his time in Seiberling Gymnasium, the 6-4 Davis -- who often found himself four or five inches shorter than his opponents -- blocked a program-best 226 shots and sits third with 836 career rebounds. He remains 21st on the career scoring list with 1,102 points.
Beyond his many official honors and accolades, Davis very well might hold the distinction of being the first Heidelberg student-athlete to “go viral” on social media because of a dunk that epitomized his time in the Tricolor. In a 2011 game against Trine, a fast-break floater by Darion Capers caromed off the rim and Victor Fortkamp tried to dunk it, but missed. In bizarre fashion, the ball catapulted off the basket and sailed straight up, higher than the shot clock. As the ball came down, Davis darted past four defenders and used his extraordinary leaping ability to hammer it home.
The clip was uploaded to YouTube with the unassuming title, “tipdunk.mpg.” There, it caught fire and received more than 5 million views. It was also featured on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10.
Today, Davis works as a promotions producer for WHIO-TV in Dayton, where he once won a regional Emmy Award for Best Spot News. His career also included a stint as a videographer at WBNS 10TV in Columbus.
This biography appeared in the 2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremony program.
