Eric Gray (American football)

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Eric Gray

| image = Eric Gray.png

| caption = Gray in 2023

| current_team = New York Giants

| number = 20

| position = Running back / Kickoff returner

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|11|4}}

| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 211

| high_school = Lausanne Collegiate School (Memphis)

| college = Tennessee (2019–2020)
Oklahoma (2021–2022)

| draftyear = 2023

| draftround = 5

| draftpick = 172

| pastteams =

New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)

| status = Active

| highlights =

Second-team All-Big 12 (2022)

| statleague = NFL

| statseason = 2024

| statweek =

| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts

| statvalue1 = 31

| statlabel2 = Rushing yards

| statvalue2 = 79

| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns

| statvalue3 =

| statlabel4 = Receptions

| statvalue4 = 16

| statlabel5 = Receiving yards

| statvalue5 = 104

| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue6 =

| statlabel7 = Return yards

| statvalue7 = 640

| pfr = GrayEr01

}}

Eric DeWayne Gray (born November 4, 1999) is a professional football running back and kickoff returner for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma.

Early life

Gray grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Lausanne Collegiate School. He was named Tennessee Mr. Football after rushing for 2,251 yards and 38 touchdowns in his sophomore season. As a junior, Gray rushed for 3,151 yards and 45 touchdowns and was selected the Tennessee Gatorade Football Player of the Year and repeated as Tennessee Mr. Football. In his sophomore and junior year, he won the Tennessee High School Championship. Rated a four-star recruit, he initially committed to play college football at Michigan during the summer going into his senior year.{{Cite web |last=Sang |first=Orion |date=July 1, 2018 |title=Michigan football gets commitment from 4-star running back Eric Gray |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2018/07/01/michigan-football-commitment-4-star-eric-gray-running-back/749330002/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=Detroit Free Press}} He was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year a second time and Mr. Football for a third straight season as a senior.{{Cite web |last=Kreager |first=Tom |date=December 6, 2018 |title=Lausanne's Eric Gray named Tennessee Gatorade football player of year |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2018/12/06/eric-gray-lausanne-lynx-senior-receives-tennessee-gatorade-player-year-tssaa/2224412002/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=The Commercial Appeal}} Towards the end of his senior season, Gray decommitted from Michigan and reopened his recruitment.{{Cite web |last=McMahon |first=Eric |date=December 1, 2018 |title=4-star RB Eric Gray pulls commitment to Michigan |url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2018/12/4-star_rb_eric_gray_pulls_comm.html |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=MLive.com}} He ultimately committed to play at Tennessee a few weeks later.{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Khari |date=December 20, 2018 |title=UT Vols football recruiting: Eric Gray picks Tennessee |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2018/12/20/eric-gray-football-recruiting-commits-tennessee-volunteers-lausanne/2301351002/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=The Commercial Appeal}}

College career

As a true freshman, Gray gained 539 yards and scored four touchdowns on 101 carries and caught 13 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.{{Cite web |last=Paschall |first=David |date=August 20, 2020 |title=Vols' Eric Gray would love to be first 1000-yard rusher in 10 years |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2020/aug/20/tennessees-eric-gray-would-love-be-first-1000/530349/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=Chattanooga Times Free Press}}{{Cite web |last=Paschall |first=David |date=December 1, 2020 |title=Tennessee's Eric Gray on a 1,000-yard season: 'I think about that all the time' |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2020/dec/01/tennessees-gray-1000-yard-season/537103/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=Chattanooga Times Free Press}} He rushed for 246 yards, a school record for a freshman, and three touchdowns in the Volunteers final regular season game against Vanderbilt and was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.{{Cite web |last=Torres |first=Aaron |date=November 30, 2019 |title=Eric Gray sets UT freshman rushing record |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2019/12/01/tennessee-vols-football-eric-gray-freshman-vanderbilt/4298788002/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel}} Gray lead Tennessee with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 157 attempts and also gained 254 yards and scored two touchdowns on 30 receptions.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Mike |date=January 21, 2021 |title=Eric Gray, Tennessee football's top running back, enters transfer portal |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2021/01/20/eric-gray-tennessee-football-enters-transfer-portal/4220750001/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel}} In January 2021, Gray announced that he was entering the transfer portal.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Patrick |date=January 20, 2021 |title=Tennessee star RB Eric Gray enters NCAA transfer portal |url=https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/Article/Eric-Gray-Tennessee-Vols-Football-Running-Back-Enters-NCAA-Transfer-Portal-159645554/ |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=247Sports}}

Gray chose to transfer to the University of Oklahoma.{{Cite web |last=Rittenberg |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Rittenberg |date=January 27, 2021 |title=Ex-Tennessee running back Eric Gray heading to Oklahoma as transfer |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30791316/ex-tennessee-running-back-eric-gray-heading-oklahoma-transfer |access-date=January 31, 2021 |website=ESPN.com}} In the 2021 season, Gray had 78 carries for 412 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 229 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.{{Cite web |title=Eric Gray 2021 Game Log |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/eric-gray-2/gamelog/2021 |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}} In the 2022 season, Gray took over the Sooners' backfield.{{Cite web |title=2022 Oklahoma Sooners Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/oklahoma/2022.html |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}} On November 12 against West Virginia, he had 25 carries for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the road loss.{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma at West Virginia Box Score, November 12, 2022 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2022-11-12-west-virginia.html |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}} In the 2022 season, Gray had 213 carries for 1,366 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns to go with 33 receptions for 229 receiving yards. He had eight games on the season going over 100 rushing yards and four with two rushing touchdowns.{{Cite web |title=Eric Gray 2022 Game Log |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/eric-gray-2/gamelog/2022 |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}}

Professional career

{{NFL predraft

| height ft = 5

| height in = 9 1/2

| weight = 207

| dash = 4.62

| ten split = 1.55

| twenty split = 2.64

| shuttle = 4.10

| cone drill = 7.17

| vertical = 37.5

| broad ft = 9

| broad in = 10

| bench = 12

| arm span = 29 5/8

| hand span = 9 3/4

| note = Sources:{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/eric-gray/32004752-4165-2870-85bd-e1a472b80efc |title=Eric Gray Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=April 16, 2023}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1029899&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Eric Gray College Football Profile |access-date=April 16, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}

}}

Gray was selected by the New York Giants in the fifth round, 172nd overall, of the 2023 NFL draft.{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2023 |title=Giants draft Oklahoma RB Eric Gray with 172nd pick |url=https://www.giants.com/news/eric-gray-oklahoma-sooners-nfl-draft-2023-running-back-joe-schoen |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=Giants.com}} He was placed on injured reserve on October 25, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Michael |date=October 25, 2023 |title=Giants add 2 RBs; Eric Gray, Matt Peart to IR |url=https://www.giants.com/news/eric-gray-matt-peart-jashaun-corbin-deon-jackson-justin-hollins-roster-moves |access-date=January 14, 2024 |website=Giants.com}} He was activated on November 25.

As a rookie, Gray appeared in 13 games. He had a small role on the offense to go with occasional kickoff and punt return duties.{{Cite web |title=Eric Gray 2023 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GrayEr01/gamelog/2023/ |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}

References

External links

[https://www.giants.com/team/players-roster/eric-gray/ New York Giants bio]
[https://soonersports.com/sports/football/roster/eric-gray/15329 Oklahoma Sooners bio]
[https://utsports.com/sports/football/roster/eric-gray/12838 Tennessee Volunteers bio]

Category:1999 births

Category:Living people

Category:Players of American football from Memphis, Tennessee

Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen

Category:Lausanne Collegiate School alumni

Category:American football running backs

Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players

Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players

Category:New York Giants players