PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WKBW) — When Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis hit the field for the third day of training camp on Friday, he had a special guest watching from the sidelines.
Davis invited nine-year-old Aniyah Wetzler and her family to practice at St. John Fisher University. Like Davis, Wetzler was in and out of homeless shelters and the foster care system as a child. The two first met at a Mental Health Advocates of Western New York dinner in May and immediately became best friends.
"He's my bestie to the Westie," Wetzler said with a smile.
"Me and Aniyah are always going to stick together," Davis said. "She knows it, they know it, and like I said, we're going to continue to have fun and she's going to continue to have fun here too."
WATCH: 'He's my bestie': Buffalo Bills RB Ray Davis and 9-year-old Aniyah share a special bond
Aniyah was recently adopted by her then-aunt, Catherine Wetzler. But during the early years of her life, she was always "bouncing around" between homes and different caregivers.
“Their lives are so similar in so many ways," Catherine said. "What they’ve gone through and both experienced as kids is unfortunate. But an unfortunate situation brought these two people together.”
After practice, Davis and Aniyah spent about half an hour with each other. Davis helped her get autographs, played catch, and sat down on the field and talked about how she was doing. It's a special bond that Davis doesn't want to end anytime soon, and Aniyah can't wait to watch her "bestie" at Highmark Stadium in the fall.
“I think he’s very kind, caring, and compassionate," Catherine added. "The energy he has shown towards Aniyah and the interest he’s shown towards Aniyah is absolutely amazing.”
“I want to continue to be with her, I hope she continues to be with me," Davis said. "She got to kind of see a little bit of the fanbase here today and see how much we’re loved, and I want her to see how much she’s loved too.”
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