March 14, 1998. It’s a date burned into the memory of anyone who followed rodeo in the nineties. Fort Worth, Texas. The air in the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum was thick with that mix of dirt, popcorn, and nervous energy you only find at a high-stakes bull riding event. Jerome Davis, the man they called "The Carolina Cowboy," was at the absolute peak of his powers. He wasn't just another guy in the chutes; he was a 1995 PRCA World Champion and a founding member of the PBR. He was 25 years old.
He was also leading the world standings.
Jerome wasn't just winning; he was dominating. Out of 17 bulls he'd faced that season, he’d stayed on 14 of them. That’s an 82% riding percentage, which is basically superhuman in a sport where the animal weighs fifteen times more than the athlete. Then came a bull named Knock 'Em Out John.
The Wreck That Changed Everything
In the world of bull riding, they don't call them "accidents." They call them wrecks.
Jerome Davis didn't just fall. He was winning the ride until the bull's head came back and smashed into his face, knocking him out cold while he was still in the air. When you're unconscious, you don't have "landing gear." He came down directly on his head, breaking his neck and instantly paralyzing him from the chest down.
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The silence that followed in that arena was deafening.
Doctors eventually told him he had a 1% chance of ever walking again. Most people would have checked out right then and there. Honestly, who could blame them? You go from being the most athletic guy in the room—a guy who can dance with a 2,000-pound beast—to not being able to move your own legs. But if you know anything about Jerome, you know that "1% chance" wasn't a death sentence. It was a challenge.
The Rise of the Carolina Cowboy
Before the injury, Jerome Davis was a bit of an anomaly. See, back then, most of the big names in bull riding came from out West—Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming. Jerome was a kid from Archdale, North Carolina. He started riding at 11, and by the time he was a freshman in high school, he was winning events against grown men.
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He put North Carolina on the map.
- 1990: North Carolina State High School Champion.
- 1992: National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Champion.
- 1995: PRCA World Champion (The first man from east of the Mississippi to win it).
- 1998: Leading the PBR world standings at the time of his injury.
He wasn't just a rider; he was a pioneer. When the PBR was founded in a Scottsdale motel room in 1992, Jerome was the youngest of the 20 men who put up $1,000 each to start their own league. He was literally a "founding father" of modern professional bull riding before he was even legally old enough to rent a car.
Life After the Eight Seconds
The real story of Jerome Davis bull rider isn't actually what he did on the back of a bull. It's what he did once he was off one for good.
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A lot of guys would have taken their settlement and disappeared into a quiet life. Not Jerome. He and his wife, Tiffany—who he married just seven months after the accident—went back to their ranch in Archdale and decided they weren't going anywhere. They didn't just survive; they built an empire.
Today, the Davis Ranch is legendary. They aren't just "former rodeo people." They are some of the most respected stock contractors in the business. They raise the bulls now. If you're a young rider and you want to test your mettle, you go to the Davis Rodeo Arena. It’s a 5,000-seat venue they built right there in North Carolina.
Coaching the Next Generation
If you watch PBR Teams today, you’ll see Jerome in a custom-built "perch" overlooking the arena. He’s the head coach of the Carolina Cowboys. It’s kinda poetic, right? The guy who broke the mold for East Coast riders is now the one calling the shots for a professional team based in his home state.
His impact is massive. He’s not just teaching guys how to stay on for eight seconds; he’s teaching them how to handle the "wreck" if it comes. He’s lived it. He’s been in the dirt, and he’s been on the podium.
Why Jerome Davis Still Matters
There’s a lot of talk about "grit" these days, but Jerome is the literal definition of it. He’s been in a wheelchair longer than he was ever a professional rider, yet his influence on the sport has never been higher.
Most people look at the 1998 wreck as the end of his story. But when you talk to people in the industry, they see it as the pivot. He took a 1% chance and turned it into a lifetime of leadership. He’s in the PBR Ring of Honor, and he’s inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Insights for the Road Ahead
If you’re looking to follow in the footsteps of a legend or just looking for inspiration from the life of Jerome Davis, here’s the reality of what it takes to be "Cowboy Tough":
- Accept the Pivot: Your life can change in a split second. Jerome didn't waste years mourning the rider he used to be; he focused on the stock contractor and coach he could become.
- Community is Fuel: The rodeo community rallied around Jerome, and he spent the next 25 years giving that energy back through his bull riding school and Christian Junior Rodeo events.
- Stay in the Game: You don't have to be the one in the saddle to be the most important person in the arena. Jerome proved that expertise and passion are more valuable than physical mobility.
For those wanting to see his legacy in person, the best move is to head to a PBR Team Series event when the Carolina Cowboys are in town. Watching Jerome lead from his perch is a masterclass in resilience that goes way beyond sports. You can also visit the Davis Ranch in Archdale for their annual invitational—it’s one of the few places where you can still feel the original soul of the PBR.