Benjamin Gay

{{Short description|American football player (1980–2024)}}

{{redirect|Ben Gay|the ointment|Bengay}}

{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Benjamin Gay Jr

| image =

| caption =

| number = 34

| position = Running back

| birth_date = {{birth date|1980|02|28}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|07|29|1980|02|28}}

| death_place = Colorado, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lbs = 227

| high_school = Spring (Spring, Texas)

| college = Garden City CC

| undraftedyear = 2001

| pastteams =

• Edmonton Eskimos ({{CFL Year|2000}})*
• Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|2001}})
• Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL Year|2002}})*

| highlights =

| statlabel1 = Rushing yards

| statvalue1 = 172

| statlabel2 = Rushing average

| statvalue2 = 3.4

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 1

| statlabel4 = Fumbles–lost

| statvalue4 = 4–3

}}

Benjamin Stevenson Gay Jr. (February 28, 1980 – July 29, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) in 2001.

Born in Houston,{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GayxBe00.htm|title=Ben Gay|publisher=Pro Football Reference|accessdate=October 5, 2020}} Gay was a star running back at Spring High School in Spring, Texas. As a senior in 1997, he was a USA Today first-team All-American.{{cite web|last=McClain|first=John|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010821074325/http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/996528|archivedate=August 21, 2001|title=Things finally going Gay's way with Browns|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Ex-Baylor-player-Ben-Gay-thriving-with-Browns-2049317.php|work=Houston Chronicle|date=August 8, 2001|accessdate=October 6, 2020|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010712022229/http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/189/sports/Glory_dazeP.shtml|archivedate=July 12, 2001|title=Glory daze|url=http://www.boston.com:80/dailyglobe2/189/sports/Glory_dazeP.shtml|last=Borges|first=Ron|work=The Boston Globe|page=C1|accessdate=October 6, 2020|url-status=dead}} He chose Baylor over Florida, Florida State, and Miami. However, five weeks into his freshman season in 1998, he was kicked off the team for rules violations. He eventually enrolled at Garden City Community College. Playing nine games in 1999, he rushed for 1,442 yards and 17 touchdowns but was dismissed from the team because of his grades and rules violations.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010827032326/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player_bio.php?id=106|archivedate=August 27, 2001|title=Benjamin Gay: Player Bio|publisher=Cleveland Browns|url=http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player_bio.php?id=106|accessdate=October 5, 2020|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011126052828/http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fxml%2Fstory.ssf%2Fhtml_standard.xsl%3F%2Fbase%2Fsports%2F10062522809970197.xml|archivedate=November 26, 2001|title=Legend's on the map|url=http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/05/cleveland_browns_ben_gay_gets.html|last=Cabot|first=Mary Kay|work=The Plain Dealer|place=Cleveland|date=November 20, 2001|accessdate=October 5, 2020|url-status=dead}} He took a job as a bouncer at a bar in Garden City, Kansas.

In 2000, he was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos, but was released after the first preseason game. On July 20, 2001, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011214035221/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player.php?id=106|archivedate=December 14, 2001|title=Benjamin Gay|url=http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player.php?id=106|publisher=Cleveland Browns|accessdate=October 5, 2020|url-status=dead}} He spent the 2001 season as a third-string RB behind James Jackson and Jamel White. His career game came in a 27–17 Browns win at Baltimore on November 18, when he had his first 18 NFL carries for 56 yards, including one touchdown.{{cite web| url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GayxBe00/gamelog/2001/| title = Ben Gay 2001 Game Log {{!}} Pro-Football-Reference.com| website = Pro-Football-Reference.com}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011126052853/http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fxml%2Fstory.ssf%2Fhtml_standard.xsl%3F%2Fbase%2Fsports%2F10062522899970219.xml|archivedate=November 26, 2001|url=http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/sports/10062522899970219.xml|title=Gay makes huge impression in first extended playing time|last=Boyer|first=Mary Schmitt|work=The Plain Dealer|place=Cleveland|date=November 20, 2001|accessdate=October 5, 2020|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011121002015/http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fxml%2Fstory.ssf%2Fhtml_standard.xsl%3F%2Fbase%2Fsports%2F100616584610378123.xml|archivedate=November 21, 2001|url=http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/sports/100616584610378123.xml|title=A victory to crow about|last=Grossi|first=Tony|work=The Plain Dealer|place=Cleveland|date=November 19, 2001|accessdate=October 5, 2020|url-status=dead}}

On April 24, 2002, the Browns waived Gay, and he signed with the Indianapolis Colts five days later.{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/transactions/league/waivers/2002/4 |title=NFL waivers by month |work=NFL.com |date= |accessdate=2022-06-01}} The Colts released Gay on August 19.{{cite web|last=Oehser|first=Josh|title=Bringing in the backs|url=http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=799|publisher=Indianapolis Colts|date=August 19, 2002|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20021225171453/http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=799|archivedate=December 25, 2002|url-status=dead}}

Gay died in a traffic collision on July 29, 2024, at the age of 44.{{Cite news |url=https://www.the-review.com/story/sports/pro/browns/2024/08/03/ben-gay-former-browns-running-back-dies-car-accident-in-colorado-nfl-2001/74580155007/ |title=Former Cleveland Browns running back Ben Gay dies in Colorado car accident |first1=Chris |last1=Easterling |date=August 3, 2024 |newspaper=The Alliance Review |location=Alliance, Ohio |access-date=August 4, 2024}}