Teresa Davis thought she was going out to lunch with her family on Mother's Day. But her son, Bears running back Mike Davis, had other plans.
The five-year NFL veteran surprised his mom with a house he bought for her in Atlanta, a moment that he captured Sunday in an emotional Instagram video.
"Happy Mother's Day Mom, I love you so much," Davis wrote 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."
Back at Halas Hall this week to participate in the Bears' offseason program, Davis reflected on the moment that both he and his mother will never forget.
"It's something I always wanted to do," Davis told ChicagoBears.com. "She couldn't stop crying. To see her that emotional just lets me know how grateful she is to have the house, and she deserves it."
Davis and his siblings grew up in low-income neighborhoods in Atlanta. Regardless of their plight, his mother was always a rock for her children.
"It was definitely rough growing up, really rough," Davis said. "But my mom has always been there. There were a lot of things she did for us when we were younger. It's just something that you never take for granted."
Davis signed with the Bears in March after spending his first four NFL seasons with the 49ers (2015-16) and Seahawks (2017-18). He declared for the draft following his junior season at South Carolina so he could help his mom pay for a place to live after she had received an eviction notice.
"The goal was always to buy her a house," said Davis, who was selected in the fourth round by San Francisco.
Determined to keep the new house a secret, Davis informed his mom that he had extended her apartment lease that was due to expire this month. He told his mother's landlady what he was planning and she played along when she received a call from Davis' mother.
When the Bears running back finally divulged the secret Sunday, many of the family members who had gathered at the house were just as surprised as Davis' mother.
"When she saw my mom crying, her sister was crying as well," Davis said. "Everybody is legit happy for her. They couldn't believe it. They had no idea."
