Former Kentucky football star and current Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis has made his name known in the past week not only on the field but also in the community.
Against the Miami Dolphins, he caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen at the end of the third quarter.
The score and successful two-point conversion that followed put the Bills in front 20-13, and they would go on to win the game 30-27 after a last-minute field goal.
By the end of the game, Davis led the team in scrimmage yards, having caught two passes for 70 yards and rushed four times for 20 yards.
“You gotta be able to make a guy miss, and the biggest thing in my head was, ‘Make sure I make him miss,’” he said in his postgame press conference. “After that, I kinda just blacked out from there. I heard the whole crowd, so I assumed nobody was around me.”
As a result of his performance, Davis was nominated along with five others for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for Week 9, as announced on Wednesday.
In addition to that, Davis was named the Week 9 NFLPA Community MVP, a weekly award given to players that have made a positive impact in their hometowns. He was just the fourth rookie to win the award in the program’s 11-year history.
He also hosted an event welcoming members of Big Brothers Big Sisters to Highmark Stadium for a VIP stadium tour, a pizza party and a Q&A session where he shared his story and path to the NFL.
Davis had a desire to give back to Big Brothers Big Sisters because the organization helped him as he struggled with homelessness and spent time in foster care as a kid. He was paired with a mentor, or “Big,” at age 12 and gained support that helped him reach his full potential from the experience.
The NFLPA will donate $10,000 to each winner’s foundation or charity of choice every week, and all weekly winners are eligible for the Alan Page Community Award, the NFLPA’s highest player honor that also includes a $100,000 charity donation.
Davis and the Bills will next return home to Highmark Stadium in Buffalo to face the San Francisco 49ers in primetime after a bye week in week 12. Kick off against the Niners is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. and will air live on NBC and Peacock.
