Prior to attending college, he served in the Army as a staff sergeant in the infantry, which included a tour-of-duty in Europe.
The six-time Pro Bowler (1955–60) roamed in the Lions secondary, often referred to as "Chris' Crew", for eight seasons (1952–59) after being drafted out of Colorado A&M.
David's teammates in that secondary included Hall of Famers Jack Christiansen and Yale Lary, and they were also joined by Bob Smith and Karl Karilivacz.
Known around the league as "The Hatchet", David was a major contributor on an instrumental Lions' defense that helped Detroit's championship teams in 1952, 1953 and 1957.
Standing only 5-11 and weighing a little over 170 pounds, he earned the nickname "Hatchet" in 1953 when, in successive games, he delivered devastating tackles that knocked future Hall of Famers Y.