RB Bills Ray Davis Earns National Recognition for Community Service

Buffalo Bills rookie Ray Davis was named NFLPA Most Valuable Player in Week 9 after hosting 14 Big Brothers Big Sisters during a tour of Highmark Stadium on Oct. 22. Seven pairs of “big” and “little” from the team gave the local branch of the program a tour of the stadium and treated them to a pizza party.

Davis, on the official website of the billsin his youth he participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, joining it as a “little one” when he was 16 years old. The rookie told the team’s website that it was crucial for him to show program participants that their dreams are achievable. given his relationship with the association.

“I think this is very important because, as many people say, there are not many success stories in this world that we all hope and wish for, and from what other people have said, Patrick and I are one of the very few success stories. who came out of Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Davis told writer Dorian Alerta. “That’s what I want to continue to push… There are kids who need mentoring. There are kids who just need a role model… I think if they see that there is someone who constantly wants to push them to be the best version of themselves, then that’s all you need.”

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Davis, according to the team’s website, is one of four rookies to win the NFLPA Community MVP Award in the 11-year history of the award; The players’ association now plans to make a $10,000 donation to a fund of Davis’ choice.

The adversity Davis faced on his way to the NFL is well known; once homelesshe never let seemingly insurmountable obstacles hold him back, and now he wants to use his incredible journey to inspire children in situations similar to the one he once found himself in.

“I think for me it was about the fact that at the end of the day, everyone goes through adversity, everyone faces problems that they think they can or cannot overcome, and I realized the position I was in, what if If I were to give up, who would be the children’s protector?” Davis said during a recent appearance on Good morning football. “Who could be the representative? Who could be a mentor? Who could be a role model? And I felt that at the age of 12, at 14, 15 and so on, I would have. To become that role model, I was going to take the lead and show everyone that there is a way and an opportunity to achieve what you want.” .

Davis’ story is just part of what made Buffalo fans quickly fall in love with him, as he quickly became a fan favorite within the first eight games of his professional career. His NFLPA Community MVP win in Week 9 is the first national recognition he has received for his community service, but given how clearly he strives to be a positive role model, it likely won’t be the last.

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