Bills new RB Ray Davis eager to showcase versatility
ORCHARD PARK, NY (WHEC) – When the Bills took RB Ray Davis out of Kentucky in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it became apparent they weren’t after a one-dimensional back.
“He was a guy that we had really targeted,” GM Brandon Beane said of Davis over the weekend.
Davis, 24, is touted as a pass catching back, similar to James Cook. Last year, had 33 receptions for 323 yards and 7 TDs for the Wildcats. That was on top of the 1,129 yards and 14 TDs he rushed for.
“That was something I really wanted to prove to scouts, prove to the NFL,” Davis said of his ability to be a dual-threat. “I’m a three down back who can protect, who can run.”
Davis transferred to Kentucky after two seasons at Vanderbilt, where he registered five 100-rushing yard games. That included a season-high 167 yard outing against South Carolina on Nov. 5 2022.
“My goal is always to have that defensive coordinator not know how to prepare for me,” he added.
Ray Davis comes from humble beginnings
Davis would be the first to tell you he had an unstable childhood. With both of his parents being in and out of incarceration, he had and his siblings never found a stable home. He was in foster care by the age 8.
“I had to become a man at twelve so I think just having to adapt to my situation and my environment and understanding that I’d have to raise myself,” he said. ” I just knew right then and there it was about staying focused, trying to continue to survive.”
Eventually, Davis lived at the home of a high school teacher until moving back in with his grandmother. He’d tell you that this adversity molded him into the person he is today.
“I’ve always tried to attack my issues, I’ve never tried to run away,” Davis added.
It’s worked in real life and on the college football field. Now, Davis is hoping it can in the NFL for the Bills.