Dan Grayson
{{short description|American football linebacker}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
|name=Dan Grayson
|image=Dan Grayson.jpeg
|import=Yes
|position1=
|birth_date=July 27, 1967
|birth_place=Paris, Texas, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2021|8|1|1967|7|27}}
|death_place=Kennewick, Washington, U.S.
|college=Wenatchee Valley (1986)
Washington State (1987–1989)
|high_school=Woodland {{nowrap|(Woodland, Washington)}}
|height_ft=6
|height_in=2
|weight_lbs=240
|NFLDraftedYear=1990
|NFLDraftedRound=7
|NFLDraftedPick=182
|NFLDraftedTeam=Pittsburgh Steelers
|playing_years1={{NFL Year|1990}}
|playing_team1=Pittsburgh Steelers*
|playing_years2={{NFL Year|1991}}
|playing_team2=San Francisco 49ers*
|playing_years3={{CFL Year|1992}}
|playing_team3=Saskatchewan Roughriders
|career_footnotes=
|career_highlights=
- First-team All-Pac-10 (1989)
|NFL=2515240
}}
Danny Ray Grayson (July 27, 1967 – August 1, 2021) was an American professional football linebacker who played one season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL draft. He played college football at Wenatchee Valley College and Washington State University.
Early life
Danny Ray Grayson was born on July 27, 1967, in Paris, Texas.{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/g/gray04570.html | title=DANNY GRAYSON | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=6 January 2025}} He attended Woodland High School in Woodland, Washington.
College career
Grayson played college football at Wenatchee Valley College in 1986 as a wingback. He then joined the Washington State Cougars of Washington State University as a walk-on in 1987. After Grayson made a "spectacular" forced fumble in spring practice, head coach Dennis Erickson shouted, “Grayson! I’ll tell you what, you’re on scholarship right now!” Grayson became a starter at middle linebacker in 1988 and was a two-year letterman from 1988 to 1989. He was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection at linebacker his senior year in 1989.{{cite web|author=Pac-12 Communications Department |title=2014 Pac-12 Football Media Guide |work=pac-12.org |year=2014 |page=124 |url=http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/350165-2014-football-media-guide |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616120017/http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/350165-2014-football-media-guide |archivedate=June 16, 2015 |url-status=live |ref=2014mg }}
Professional career
Grayson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round, with the 182nd overall pick, of the 1990 NFL draft. He officially signed with the team on July 11, 1990.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/okmulgee-daily-times/162459161/ | title=Transactions | work=Okmulgee Daily Times | date=July 13, 1990 | accessdate=6 January 2025}} He was waived on August 20, 1990.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/indiana-gazette/162459368/ | title=It's all over for Ober | work=Indiana Gazette | date=August 22, 1990 | accessdate=6 January 2025}}
Grayson signed with the San Francisco 49ers on March 18, 1991.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner/162459543/ | title=No day at the beach for S.F. | work=The San Francisco Examiner | date=March 19, 1991 | accessdate=6 January 2025}} He was waived by the 49ers on August 21, 1991.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune/162459670/ | title=Transactions | work=Casper Star-Tribune | date=August 22, 1991 | accessdate=6 January 2025}}
Grayson played in seven games for the with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League in 1992, recording 19 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, and one sack.
Personal life
Grayson later worked at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He died on October 1, 2021, in Kennewick, Washington at a Quality Inn he had been living at.
About ten years before his death, Grayson started having behavioral difficulties and also underwent a personality change. Due to this, Grayson believed he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy from his football career and had his brain donated to science.{{cite news | url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/oct/07/the-tragic-story-of-dan-grayson-questions-continue/ | title=The tragic story of Dan Grayson: Questions continue to swirl around the death of former Washington State linebacker | work=The Spokesman-Review | date=October 7, 2021 | accessdate=6 January 2025 | author=Blanchette, John}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=graysdan001 Stats Crew profile]
{{Steelers1990DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grayson, Dan}}
Category:Players of American football from Washington (state)
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Canadian football linebackers
Category:Players of Canadian football from Washington (state)
Category:Washington State Cougars football players
Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Category:Wenatchee Valley Knights football players
Category:Players of American football from Paris, Texas
Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players