Almost four years ago, Mike Davis cited his mother for why he decided to leave college early to enter the 2015 NFL Draft: “She’s the reason why I’m here, so of course I’m going to take care of her.”
On Mother’s Day this year, Davis, now a running back for the Bears, continued to deliver on that promise by surprising his mom with a new house. The 26-year-old posted a video on social media of him revealing the gift to his mom after pulling up in a car, and it’s fair to say it’s one of the most heartwarming things you’ll see this holiday.
“Happy Mother’s Day Mom, I love you so much,” Davis wrote in the caption on Instagram. “I remember when I was younger we moved every year to a new place. Days you didn’t eat but made sure we ate. I love you, enjoy your house.”
Getting a new home would be an exciting development for anyone, but it’s particularly special in this case. Davis, who joined the Bears this offseason on a two-year, $6 million contract, grew up in a difficult neighborhood near Atlanta. He’s spoken repeatedly in the media about how challenging his childhood was.
“We grew up rough, man,’’ Davis told the Seattle Times two years ago. “I’ve got two brothers and three sisters and my mom and dad, so it was a packed house and we stayed in the hood. It was rough growing up.”
After being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, Davis, then a star running back at South Carolina, said he did it to support his mom “with no one else being able to help her.” He’s now entering his fifth NFL season after spending the past four years with the 49ers and Seahawks.
“My reason for entering the draft was because of my mom,” Davis told Niners Nation following the draft. “Late in the process she got an eviction notice on her door. I always wanted to help my mom out. I knew with no one else being able to help her I had to step up. That was a major reason for me to enter the draft.”
Now nearly four years later, Davis has established himself as an NFL running back and followed through in a big way on that promise.
