Former Temple running back Ray Davis hopes to grow into a larger role with the Buffalo Bills

Ray Davis has bet on himself since he was in college. He recalls being overlooked since he began playing football and creating opportunities for himself to succeed.

That meant taking risks.

After two seasons at Temple, Davis could have stayed in North Philly in 2021 and led the running back room, but he instead decided to transfer to Vanderbilt. He transferred again two years later, leaving the Commodores for Kentucky. He became the first player to rush for 1,000 yards at three schools.

Each chapter has led the 25-year-old to where he is now: the NFL, something he once didn’t think was possible.

“I always bet on myself no matter the circumstances,” Davis said. “Just being able to walk through that door and knowing whatever lies behind it, it’s me versus whatever. Having those opportunities to move around, it was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got to bet on myself. I know that I could see my future being a little bit bigger. So why not take this next step?’”

Davis is entering his second season in the league with the Buffalo Bills, who selected Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He found himself with a chance to carve a role behind starter James Cook, and he did just that.

Davis rushed for 442 yards and three touchdowns last season, including a 97-yard outburst against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football on Oct. 14.

Heading into this season, he has a bit less at stake.

Davis is slotted to be the backup to Cook. With the Bills boasting an experienced running back corps with Cook and seven-year veteran Ty Johnson, Davis has learned a lot in short order.

As a rookie, he spent last year getting adjusted to being a pro, and leaned on his teammates to help him. Now, he believes he has a better grasp and has garnered some respect from his peers.

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“[I] definitely feel way more confident in myself as a player, mentally and physically,” Davis said. “I know I earned a lot of the guys’ trust and respect to go out there and do my job whenever I’m called upon to do it. That, in my opinion, is bigger than just confidence — the guys’ respect when it’s time to put on the pads.”

Bouncing around to three schools helped Davis gain the confidence he needed to be successful. Whether it was dealing with different locker rooms or learning different systems, the change of scenery always brought a new challenge.

“It’s about being able to adapt to your environments,” Davis said. “I went to three different colleges and I’ve been around 3,000 different personalities. Going from being in Temple, knowing that brand of ball, going to Vandy, going to Kentucky, you have to learn to adapt because some people may see earning respect different than someone else.”

He’s starting to make a name for himself in Buffalo, and he wants to be known as an athlete who had to overcome his share of adversity.

“There’s been days I’m so happy I’m in the NFL and I feel so blessed,” Davis said. “It’s hard to say it was a dream come true, because it wasn’t a dream when I was a kid. But other days, I look back at myself and I go, ‘I just get to be Ray Davis.’ I’ve been playing on the field. Yes, that matters and I’m happy to bring joy to people. But I’m only going to be able to impact someone’s life if I’m Ray Davis and they’re getting the real, authentic version of what I’ve been through.”

In the meantime, Davis will turn his focus to the task at hand: the Bills’ season opener against the visiting Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.

“We’ll just go out there and play our game,” he said. “I think goals I set for myself, it’s just when my time is called, my time is called. What do you do in that moment? Either you go out there and shock the world, or you just realize that it’s not your time that day.”