Running back Ray Davis grew up in the foster care system, moving from one side of the country to the other before settling in New Jersey.
Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter comes from a family of football players but wasn’t allowed to play until sixth grade. Receiver Keon Coleman is the most athletic of the trio, having been a two-sport athlete at Michigan State before having a standout junior season last year after transferring to Florida State.
Despite their different backgrounds, these three members of Buffalo’s rookie draft class have made a significant impact in helping the AFC East-leading Bills start the season with a 5-2 record as they prepare to face Seattle (4-3) on Sunday.
“We have a special group,” Davis said Wednesday, also mentioning safety Cole Bishop, a second-round pick, who has had a limited role after missing most of training camp due to a shoulder injury.
“I think that’s the fun part about watching DC, Keon, Cole, and myself is when you get thrown into tough situations, how do you react?” he added. “Do you shy away, or do you embrace it? I think we’ve really embraced the roles we have.”
The Bills have had to rely on their young players this year. Aging veterans and salary cap issues led to the departure of six of eight returning captains during the offseason.
“Proud man. Rookie class is involved making plays,” Coleman said. “DeWayne is out there hitting people, and Ray is out there trucking people. We’re just doing our job. We’re having fun.”
Coleman, who was picked first in the second round, is now third among NFL rookies with a team-leading 326 receiving yards after a performance where he caught four passes for 125 yards in a 34-10 victory over Tennessee on Sunday.
Carter, a third-round pick from Duke, has already started two games while filling in for Ed Oliver and made a crucial play against the Titans.
With Buffalo trailing 10-7 to start the third quarter, Carter broke through the left side of the Titans’ line and tackled Tony Pollard for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-2, which led to the Bills scoring a touchdown six plays later.
“Those are just the type of plays you see him making in practice,” Oliver said about Carter, who now has three tackles for a loss and knocked down an Aaron Rodgers pass in a 23-20 win over the Jets. “I don’t know if that’s like a knack of his, but super-timely plays, super-important plays.”
Carter is from Ohio, where his father played for the Buckeyes. His uncle Raymond Carter played at Notre Dame, and two other uncles played at Western Kentucky and Youngstown State. DeWayne Carter Sr. initially did not want his son to play football until high school, but his mother stepped in to let him play earlier.
As for Davis, a fourth-round pick from Kentucky, he got his chance against the Jets at the Meadowlands, with many of his family members and friends watching. Filling in for injured starter James Cook, Davis finished with 97 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards, becoming Buffalo’s first rookie to lead the team in both categories since Ronnie Harmon in 1986.
“It was a full-circle moment for me, because my career really did start in the New York-New Jersey area,” said Davis, mentioning he got to meet one of his teachers after the game.
“It was cool for him to see that and get the experience watching me as a young sophomore shining in high school to now being in the NFL. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Born in San Francisco with 14 siblings, Davis moved from home to home while his parents were in jail for long periods. He entered foster care at age 8 and at one point lived in a homeless shelter.
When he was 16, he finally went to Trinity-Pawling prep school in New York, thanks to the help of several people, including Lora Banks and her husband Greg Ley, who he still calls his “guardians.”
Davis played at Temple before transferring to Vanderbilt, where he earned a communications degree. He then finished his college career at Kentucky, scoring a school record 21 touchdowns (14 rushing and seven receiving) last year.
Davis is currently second on the Bills with 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with 79 receiving yards.
Coleman remembered being impressed by Davis when he played at Kentucky. “It’s been the same thing here,” the receiver said. “Whatever task it is, he has some ambition behind him.”
Coach Sean McDermott is moved by Davis’ background, crediting his past for shaping who he is as a person and player.
“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,” McDermott said. “He’s just wired that way. I mean, probably because of his background, he’s been a winner.”
