Hello, friends! I have a new favorite football player. His name is Ray Davis, and I’ve never seen him play. He’s hoping to hear his name called during the NFL Draft next month. His story (below) reminds me what we’re capable of overcoming, and how we can turn our worst memories into our greatest strengths. See if he gets to you too. Ear ya go…
— Kal
🏈 Quote
“After what I been through, what’s gonna get in my way now?”
— Ray Davis, NFL running-back prospect who spent years of his childhood without a home or parents around, earned a degree at Vanderbilt last spring and then earned a spot on current draft boards after a stellar season at Kentucky last fall
“Everybody congratulates me for the football part of it, and that’s great, getting to the NFL and all that,” Davis told The Athletic. “But I’m an inner-city kid, a foster-care product who graduated from a top-15 school in the country. I feel like that’s what we should be celebrating. I never once thought I’d ever get into a school like Vanderbilt.”
Want more of this Ray of light? Keep reading…
🏈 Story
Ray Davis grew up homeless, now he seeks to be a ‘name you’ll remember forever’
By Zak Keefer, The Athletic
“Why me? Why me? It took me until I was 23, 24 to figure that out,” Davis told Keefer. “Well, this is why. Because of my story, and because of all the kids in a foster home or a homeless shelter that might hear about it one day.”
🏀 Highlight
Last week was hard to beat for buzzer beaters. Here are three long threes for the win:
Go to 1:34:03 to see 90% free-throw shooter Jarod Lucas miss three in the final second and get a chance at redemption.
🏀 Stat
40,000
With 26 points Saturday vs Denver, LeBron James became the first human to score 40,000 regular-season points in pro basketball. He’s at 40,017 and counting.
And that’s just regular-season games. Include playoffs, and he’s at 48,040! That’s almost 4k more points than the next in line, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. And almost 10k more than Michael Jordan, who sits at #5.
🏈 Groaner
What did NFL Combine participants shout after a Texas wide receiver broke the all-time combine record in the 40-yard dash?
“We’re not Worthy!”
Only Xavier Worthy could do what he did, run the 40 in 4.21 seconds, breaking the old combine record of 4.22, set by John Ross in 2017.
🏈 Song
Morning Song by Ray Davis
Can’t get enough Ray Davis? Okay, so this isn’t the Dandy from Vandy (or The Kinks frontman; that’s Ray Davies), but it is an uplifting number from one Ray Davis. Far as I know, they’re not related. But you can relate to his message:
I’ve got peace over here. I’ve got joy over there. I’ve got talent in my toes. And abundance in my hair.
⚾️ Trivia
Why did the Philadelphia Phillies scrap dollar-dog nights?
Canned in loo of Plumbers Appreciation Day
Long concession lines kept workers in ketchup mode
Fans got out of hand with their wieners
It was unclear what the team’s beef was
Answer below
Hard to believe it could happen in Philly, but some fans got out of hand, flinging their wieners back and forth at each other and even onto the field. The team decided that wasn’t Kosher.
If you relish dog & bun puns, check out Dan Gelston’s piece on the matter. He was really on a roll. 🤦🏽♂️
🏃🏿♂️ PS ⛳️
Thanks to my mom and brother for sharing a couple other kernels of joy.
The honesty of the long-distance runner: Spanish athlete Iván Fernández Anaya refused to take advantage when his rival stopped just short of the finishing line in a cross-country race
This good-sport story from 2012 is taking a victory lap on social media currently.
And an update on Nick Dunlap. Remember Dunlap? Just over a month ago, the 20-year-old became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 33 years. Then he turned pro. Here’s his first ace on tour.
Aw shucks. 🌽 That’s it for this week. May you have peace over here and joy over there. And if you’re feeling un-Worthy, remember all the dog days you’ve survived.