Former Miami Dolphins standout Vontae Davis’ cause of death ‘undetermined,’ medical examiner says

Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis’ cause of death is “undetermined,” the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday.

Davis was found dead at a Southwest Ranches home April 1, 2024, police said. He was 35.

“Due to the extensive investigation and totality of the circumstances, including the inconsistencies between the scene and the findings at autopsy, the cause and manner of death in this case is best classified as undetermined,” the medical examiner said in a statement Friday.

Davis was found unresponsive in his home gym, according to the autopsy report released Friday. His assistant found him  at the home owned by the football player’s grandmother in the 6000 block of Southwest 178th Avenue. Investigators did not suspect foul play.

Davis had amphetamines/methamphetamines and cannabinoids in his system, the autopsy report says. The body had some cuts and bruises, as well as burn marks “consistent with a sauna heater safety grate.”

NFL player Vernon Davis told investigators that his younger brother had an “extensive history” of drug and alcohol use, the report says.

Davis’ ex-wife told investigators that he had been treated for CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, according to the report released Friday. She said she thought he had left a therapy program early and that he used drugs to mitigate symptoms of CTE, the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma that can be discovered only after death.

Davis was a first-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2009, selected at No. 25. The cornerback played three seasons for Miami before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 27, 2012, ahead of his fourth NFL season.

Davis had nine interceptions over his three years with the Dolphins. Inconsistent at the start his career, he was eventually selected to a pair of Pro Bowls in 2014 and 2015 with the Colts.

In 2018 with the Buffalo Bills, Davis famously retired during halftime of his first game with the team against the Los Angeles Chargers. He finished his career with 22 interceptions and 97 pass deflections.

Davis, from Washington, D.C., was raised by his grandmother, Adeline Davis, according to his bio from the University of Illinois, where he played college football and majored in speech communication.

Information from the Sun Sentinel archives was used in this report.