WATCH: Ray Davis is Learning about Lexington, Looking for Respect

Following the departure of Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky went to the portal and recruited one of the most productive SEC running backs to Lexington.

Ray Davis is a college football journeyman. A native of San Francisco, he played high school football in New Jersey. He initially committed to play football at Temple and as a true freshman in Philadelphia he just missed out on a 1,000-yard season. He eventually hit that milestone in Nashville for Vanderbilt last fall. Ahead of his fifth college football season, Ray Davis shared what sets the University of Kentucky apart from the rest of the pack.

“I like Lexington because it’s more low-key. The fans, the people, when they see you in town they love talking to you, they love communicating with you. It’s always about football, it’s always about UK. I love that,” Davis told KSR.

“My previous place in Nashville, it was all about Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan and I don’t know much about them. But I damn sure know about football and that’s what Lexington’s all about.”

Last fall he was one of only four players in the SEC with more than 1,000 yards rushing. Despite his production, he did not make a preseason All-SEC team.

“The goal is to earn my respect and for people to give me my respect. Like LeBron said, give me my respect,” Davis said.

“I may not do it at the the highest of the highest in the sense of of everybody else in terms of expectations, but me personally, I’m doing it. I just want respect. I’m going to continue to earn respect by what I do on the field and I hope by the end of the season the Kentucky fans respect me as a running back and I hope the nation and the world respects me as a running back.”

If you need a reason to give him some respect, look no further than his work in the community. A foster care success story, he wants to set an example for kids who are struggling, “just to show them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” Learn more about the inspiring new Kentucky Wildcat before he takes the field this fall.

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