Buffalo, New York — Buffalo Bills rookie operating again Ray Davis took to the sphere on Dec. 1 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, and made a beeline for Patrick Dowley.
For the Bills’ Sunday Night Football tilt in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers, Davis wore an image on his cleats paying tribute to the day he first met Dowley about 17 years in the past.
“He appeared proper at me, and he pointed, and he mentioned, ‘Are you Patrick?'” Dowley advised CBS News of their first assembly. “I mentioned, ‘Yes I’m.’ And he is like, “Man, you do not even know the way lengthy I’ve been ready to fulfill you.'”
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In 2007, Davis was 8 years previous and residing in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district when he noticed a flyer for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
At occasions in his youth, Davis was homeless. He says his dad and mom have been out and in of his life and he was craving stability. So he signed up for a Big Brother.
“I simply wanted love, man,” Davis mentioned. “I wanted consistency. I wanted any person who was going to be there to show me proper from incorrect.”
And that particular person was Dowley.
“That will eternally be my Big Brother,” Davis mentioned.
They spent numerous Sundays collectively. From these early Pop Warner soccer video games, by Dowley’s wedding ceremony, Davis turned like a part of the household.
And though he has at all times been grateful, till this week, Davis hadn’t been ready to totally present his gratitude fairly like he was on Sunday, when the Bills honored Dowley in a pregame ceremony.
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And then, for good measure, Davis even ran in a landing for his Big Brother within the Bills 35-10 win over the Niners. The cherry on high of all these Sundays.
“To all of the folks on the market which have ever thought of doing it, it is not that tough,” Dowley mentioned of being a Big Brother or Big Sister. “Don’t overthink what it takes to make a distinction in a child’s life.”
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