Ray Davis shares his inspirational journey from homeless to the NFL with "Good Morning Football"

Former Kentucky running back Ray Davis is off to a great start in the National Football League. His rookie breakout game came in Week 6 when he filled in for injured Pro Bowler James Cook on Monday Night Football. Stepping up in primetime, Davis earned feature back touches, tallying 152 total yards in a win.

What a night for Ray Davis!@Ray_Davis07 @BuffaloBills pic.twitter.com/iYtCH6IRvE

— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2024

Then, last weekend, Davis barrelled through the Tennessee Titans for his second career touchdown. Cook returned to carry most of the load, but Davis still heard his number called five times for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus one reception. The TD was an impressive run to extend Buffalo’s lead late in Nashville.

Ray Davis cannot be stopped!!! 😤

📺: @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/qQyaqrxfUL

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 20, 2024

For his sudden emergence as a trusty NFL back, Davis was invited to join “Good Morning Football,” the popular morning talk show on NFL Network, on Tuesday. In that conversation, he discussed the shock of being in the NFL and the hard road he overcame to get there.

“It’s definitely surreal, but it’s crazy at the same time,” said Davis. “You know, coming in every day in the building, just kind of realizing your an NFL player, has been a long journey for me. You know, throughout high school, throughout college, just to get here; you know, different schools, different paths through doors to just make it here. So, every day, I continue to be blessed. I continue to thank God, but I also continue to just thank the Bills for giving me the opportunity to achieve a dream that I’ve had for a long time.”

Ray Davis on his inspirational journey, positive outlook

Before he reached his dreams, Davis experienced a long and challenging road from homelessness at a young age with absent parents who were in and out of prison. He and his siblings, some of whom Davis was responsible for taking care of, lived in a shelter before they turned 13. Eventually, he crashed at his favorite teacher’s apartment, who kindly allowed Davis to stay for three years. From there, Davis relocated to a prep school in New York, which allowed Davis to get his life on track and chase his goals.

Looking back on his unique and difficult upbringing, Davis told GMFB that he knew at a young age that he had to make things happen for himself. It was his only option to escape his circumstances for a fulfilling life.

“I think for me, it was about, at the day, everybody goes through adversity, everybody faces challenges that, you know, they feel like they can or cannot overcome,” Davis said. “And I understood the position I was in, that if I were to give up, who would be an advocate for kids, who would be a spokesman, who could be a mentor, who could be a role model? I felt that at the age of 12 and at the age of 14, 15, and so on, that I was going to have to be that role model. I was willing to take the lead and to show everybody that there is a way, there is a possibility to achieve the dream that you want. It may not be the most easiest ride, but at the end of the day, there might be a lot of bumps and bruises, but you’ll make it there. You’ll get there.

“So, I just kind of kept putting my head down and understanding every adversity that came towards me, I got to face it. There’s no running away. If I ran away, I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be able to have this voice, this platform, and just this ability to showcase a new world where no matter who tells you you can’t make it, if you live by what you believe in, you will achieve anything that you want to achieve, and feel like anything is possible.”

Inspirational stuff from Davis, who wants to help others in his old shoes now that he found his way out. On a lighter note, he also thanked the Bills Mafia for being the best fans in the league. He revealed his daily Chipotle order, too. Yes, daily Chipotle.

[Watch Ray Davis at the breakfast table with GMFB]