One of the Bills' best kept secrets throughout the offseason and training camp has started to emerge. Rookie RB Ray Davis has been making defenders feel his presence, whether running over them or breaking their tackles.

"He runs the ball very hard," QB Josh Allen said. "He packs a punch but he's very decisive in his running, and I think that makes him very good for this team."

According to Next Gen Stats, Davis has forced a missed tackle on 37.3 pct of his touches (4th-highest in NFL behind James Conner, Jordan Mason and Bucky Irving, minimum 25 touches).

Davis's name continuously popped up throughout training camp when he received first team reps as the backup to RB James Cook while RB Ty Johnson dealt with an injury. After making the 53-man roster, Davis received multiple opportunities, including scoring his first career touchdown in a Monday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"The best moment wasn't necessarily me getting in the end zone, it was really just seeing the love that I got from Josh (Allen) and from James (Cook) to go get me that touchdown," Davis said. "To see those guys on the sideline telling (Kelly Skipper), 'Let the rook get one. Let him get in the end zone…' To see that I was able to earn those guys respect so early on in the season, and for them to want to see me achieve something it was definitely monumental."

Davis rose to the occasion as the Bills had to play in a Monday Night primetime game against their division rival New York Jets. While Cook was out with injury, Davis took a majority of the carries in that game, leading the team in both rushing and receiving yards. Davis said that that game was his Super Bowl and a chance for him to show the world that he belongs in the NFL.

"It's crazy because I didn't look at that as an opportunity to go in and be super excited and want to go there like, 'oh, this is my moment, Monday Night Football.' It was, once again, I'm put in a position where I have to show the world that I am who I say I am," Davis said. "Every time that I've been put in a position where I have the chance to 'shock the world' those are the moments that I love, and those are the times that I thrive in."

Davis knew that there would be questions as to whether he would be able to carry the load on the offense without Cook in the lineup, but he thrives in situations when there is doubt.

"That's where I shine the most," Davis said. "When there's doubt, when there's any type of adversity, that's when I love to step up to the plate."

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'He's just wired that way'

While some people outside of One Bills Drive may be surprised at the production of Davis in his still young career, those inside are not surprised by any of what he is doing. RT Spencer Brown recalled during preseason when he was asked by the media who was one player that people did not know about yet and his answer was Ray Davis.

"He does everything right, always," Brown said. "For a young guy to really want to get in the room with the o-line and understand blocks and talk to (Aaron) Kromer on the sideline and understand how he's going to set up blocks, I think he's wise beyond his years."

When asked around the locker room, the one trait that sticks out the most about Davis is his maturity and how he has worked through adversity in his life.

"He's just wired that way," head coach Sean McDermott said. "Because of his background, the way he's been a winner… What I have found is when you grow up with adversity, those players seem to somewhat have a leg up because they've had to work for things and have had to claw and scratch every day."

"His approach, his mindset, everything we've kind of known through the draft process, just his maturity, his character, it kind of speaks to kind of the way he plays," offensive coordinator Joe Brady said.

From a young age, Davis has had to make difficult decisions, and he said that's where that mature mindset comes from.

"I've been very passionate about speaking on that and understanding that I didn't grow up with a normal childhood," Davis said. "I had to be a man at a young age where a lot of my decision-making not only impacted my life, but it impacted others around me."

Other than the running backs, no one on the team has spent more time around Davis than fellow rookie WR Keon Coleman. The two of them met during the pre-draft process at the combine and now room together when they are on the road for games.

"It's been cool," Coleman said. "That's turned into one of my best friends on the team, getting to hang with him day in and day out. We actually room together for the games and stuff. So, we get to chop it up a lot. But it's been pretty cool."

Davis has earned the respect of the veterans in the locker room and has even earned a nickname from the offensive line via LG David Edwards.

"We love him, we call him 'The Stallion,'" C Conner McGovern said. "When he gets in, he's not afraid to just put his foot in the ground, cut up the field, lower his shoulder. You saw in the Jets game when he was running DBs and safeties over, and sometimes he was literally tripping over them because he ran them over. But just loved that nastiness out of him."

Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Davis did not have a normal childhood. He was in and out of foster care as a child and was homeless at age 12. On Good Morning Football, when asked how he got to where he is today, Davis credited his mindset and understanding how to battle through adverse situations.

"Everybody goes through adversity, everybody faces the challenges that they feel like they can or cannot overcome.," Davis said. "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 spokesperson, who could be a mentor, who could be a role model?"

That is where Big Brothers Big Sisters of America stepped in. This program has played a crucial role in the life of Davis pairing him with his Big - Patrick.

"At that time where Patrick came in, it was very difficult for me. In my reality of everyday living, from at home, to school, and to know that there was somebody who had no ties to me, family-wise, blood relations, who didn't really need to do what he did," Davis said. "But the fact that Patrick showed up every Sunday, whether it was every Sunday of the month, once a month, whatever it was, it was just a consistent individual who saw me for more than what my situation was. … It was somebody who cared about me, who wanted to see me grow, who wanted to just be there, to just put a smile on a young kid's face, and to know that I got to experience that, and a lot of other kids are getting able to experience that, it shows the impact of the organization."

Davis is still close with his Big Patrick who has been in his life for the last eight years.

"Patrick's been there," Davis said. "He's been at football games, graduations, his boys are like my nephews. They were there at my draft party. Just to see how far we've come, and to think about how I've aged out of the program, and the fact that we've been able to establish and keep our relationship, I think that really shows and highlights how big of an impact he played on me."

Although Davis has aged out of the program, his and Patrick's success story is something that he aspires to continue to spread. He hopes that when he gets a Little, that he can do for them what Patrick did for him and for that chain to continue.

"I think it's very important because as a lot of people say, there's not a lot of success stories in this world as we all hope and wish for and from what other people's words are, me and Patrick are one of the very few success stories that have made it out of Big Brothers, Big Sisters," Davis said. "That's something I want to continue to push. … There's kids who need mentorship. There's kids who just need a role model. … I think if they see that there's somebody there ,who's consistently wanting to push them to become a better version for themselves, then that's all you need."

"I want for people to see that my success story could be theirs, just based on someone getting involved in being a Big to a Little, and I want to continue to advocate that. I want to continue to speak on that. I want to continue to be a role model, not only for Littles, but for Bigs. … I want my Little to be able to look at me and go, 'he did everything he could to be where he is because of all the challenges that he faced and how he had to open up,' and I hope that my Little is willing to do the same thing. … I hope it's just a ripple effect of continuous motivation and, just the ability to change people's lives because they wanted to continue to do the same thing that their Big did."

On Tuesday Oct. 22 Davis hosted seven Bigs and Littles at Highmark Stadium and shared with them the impact that the program had on him. During the event, Davis allowed them all to ask questions, played with them and gave them a tour of the field and the locker room.

King Cade and his Big Jeff Fischer were part of the group. Cade said that he enjoys the time that he spends with Fischer and when they hang out on Sunday's. The two were excited to know that Davis held this event as Cade had not had many interactions with NFL players.

"We do a lot of cool things, but a lot of it revolves around going to parks and shooting hoops," Fischer said. "Having an opportunity to do this is just totally different. To meet Ray and know that he's been through the program is cool. I am also impressed that he just got here (to Buffalo), and he started taking us in."

As Davis continues to build upon his strong on-field performances and impact in the community, he has appreciated the love that Bills fans have shown him through the season, comparing it to the environment he experienced at Kentucky.

"It's like being back at Kentucky in college," Davis said. "It's a family, it's a place where they want to see you succeed, not just on the field, but to know I can go around town and people say 'hi,' or, looking at the DMs that I get from certain people just talking about how impactful my story is to the Bills Mafia is insane, and it's crazy, and I'm happy that I get my first year to experience this fan base, because it's better than any fan base out there."