Kentucky running back Re’Mahn ‘Ray’ Davis had a difficult childhood. He was homeless at the age of 12 and his story is remarkable.
Davis grew up in the Hayes Valley area of San Francisco and bounced between extrended family members and acquaintances. His parents were in and out of trouble with the law.
By the time that Davis was eight years old, he was in the foster care system. At 12, he spent two months in a local homeless shelter. His younger siblings — one who was six, the other just a baby — joined him.
It was at that point that Davis had to make the difficult decision to split up his family. He allowed his younger siblings to live with a godmother while he continued to face hardship, because he didn’t want that same life for them.
Ray Davis continued to fight.
Alone at that point, Davis spent approximately 60 days in a basement underneath a hospital. It is a time of his life that sticks with him to this day. The fifth-year senior ball-carrier can never forget those days.
Because he was a homeless minor and a ward of the state, Davis was not allowed to leave the facility.
From that point forward, Davis bounced in and out of the foster care system until one of his youth basketball teammates’ families took him in. To this day, he lists them as his legal guardians.
Davis’ full story is remarkable. Without sports, particularly football, he may not have become who he is today.
Davis began his college football career with two years at Temple and spent two years at Vanderbilt. He later entered the transfer portal during this past offseason.
His suitors were not limited. And then he landed at Kentucky, where Davis is the starting running back.
ESPN went on a weird tangent.
Davis’ story is remarkable and the Wildcats are 2-0 in 2023. Their first-year running back serves as a leader on the team and accumulated 114 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in the season-opener.
He went for 52 yards on 12 touches in an 11-point win on Saturday and caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Amidst the strong outing, the SEC Network took the opportunity to tell Davis’ story. However, the broadcast team did so in extremely bizarre fashion.
Although what they said may have been factually correct, the way in which it was told was odd. It was abrupt and slightly tone deaf. There were so many other ways to tell what is one of the more special back-stories in all of college football.