Announcer sparks ire for saying 'nobody wanted' Kentucky RB Ray Davis as a child in foster care

Kentucky transfer running back Ray Davis was one of the better transfer portal pickups of the offseason and the tailback has been effective for the Wildcats so far in 2023. Davis’ story is far greater than that of just a useful transfer, though.

And while the play-by-play announcer Pete Sousa — on the call for Saturday’s Kentucky-Eastern Kentucky game via streaming on ESPN+/SEC Network+ — was likely just trying to make a reference to a notable part of Davis’ backstory and something he’s discussed before, the net effect left plenty of observers questioning the comment. As an adolescent, Davis was homeless and struggle to find anybody to stay with, ending up in foster care.

While he himself has more or less said that he wasn’t wanted by anyone then, the broadcast delivery of the line about how nobody wanted Davis evidently rubbed people the wrong way.

“There is Ray Davis. 51 yards on that drive alone. Running and receiving. He’s a guy, transferring over from Vanderbilt. 9 months ago when he jumped in the portal, everybody wanted him. 11 years ago, as a foster kid, really nobody wanted him,” Sousa said.

"There is Ray Davis. 51 yards on that drive alone. Running and receiving. He's a guy, transferring over from Vanderbilt. 9 months ago when he jumped in the portal, everybody wanted him. 11 years ago, as a foster kid, really nobody wanted him."pic.twitter.com/lb5H6lIyPB

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 9, 2023

X replies to a video of the comments were mixed, with a number of users highlighting where Davis himself had discussed his journey from foster care to Kentucky in a story. Others said while clumsy, Sousa was just making reference to a piece of reporting on one of the teams he was covering.

Others, however, were expectant of some sort of apology or other measure in response to what could, in a number of circumstances, be offensive comments.

For his part, Sousa had evidently read the story, sharing it on his X profile prior to kickoff.

“This amazing dude is an amazing story on and off the field,” Sousa said of Davis on the social media platform.

Davis has been focused on ball early on at Kentucky

According to Kentucky running back Ray Davis during camp, the team’s offensive line is coming along well after a poor year in 2022.

“Man, my guys are good. You know, those guys up front been doing what they got to do,” said Davis, listing the top players on the OL. “Marques (Cox), (Kenneth) Horsey, Eli (Cox), Jager (Burton), (Jeremy) Flax, you know, (Courtland Ford), a lot of those guys, even in the second group, those guys are coming and working every day.”

Per Davis, with four returners and a pair of elder transfers, the guys up front are getting along well.

“It starts with what they do in their room and they’re building that chemistry and that bond and that brotherhood and that translates to on-the-field,” he said.