ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Growing up, Shane Ray didn't envision himself owning a house, and especially not at 22 years old.
His home neighborhood, located in a Kansas City, Mo. zip code infamously known as "The Murder Factory," has received notoriety, and Ray knows his life could have gone in an entirely different direction where he didn't—or couldn't—leave.
Years later, the contrast is stunning. Having signed his contract with the Broncos, Ray bought a house and began shopping for furniture. He can recall the times when he and his mother slept on the floor and lived off food stamps, and that kind of poverty must seem so incredibly far away for them now.