Ray Abruzzese

{{Short description|American football player (1937–2011)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| position = Safety

| number = 46, 25

| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|10|27}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2011|8|22|1937|10|27}}

| death_place = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.

| draftyear = 1962

| draftround = 16

| draftpick = 219

| afldraftyear = 1962

| afldraftround = 23

| afldraftpick = 180

| suppdraftyear =

| suppdraftround =

| undraftedyear =

| college = Alabama

| pastteams =

• Buffalo Bills (1962–1964)
• New York Jets (1965–1966)

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 61

| statlabel2 = Games started

| statvalue2 = 2

| statlabel3 = Interceptions

| statvalue3 = 9

| pfr = A/AbruRa20

| pfrcoach =

| cfl =

| afl =

| highlights =

• AFL champion (1964)
• National champion (1961)

| HOF =

| CollegeHOF =

}}

Raymond Lewis Abruzzese Jr. (Pronounced: "AH-broot-sez") (October 27, 1937 – August 22, 2011) was an American college and professional football player.

Abruzzese was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He played football during his high school years, when he gained the nickname "The Hawk" from teammates due to his skill as a defensive back spotting and intercepting passes in flight.John Duxbury and Larry Shainman (eds.), Football Register, 1968. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1968; p. 3.

He played college football at the University of Alabama, and played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Buffalo Bills from 1962 through 1964, when the Bills won the AFL Championship game, 20–7, over the defending AFL champion San Diego Chargers.{{Cite web |title=Championship - San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills - December 26th, 1964 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196412260buf.htm |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played for the AFL's New York Jets in 1965 and 1966.{{Cite web |title=1965 New York Jets Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyj/1965.htm |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1966 New York Jets Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyj/1966.htm |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

Abruzzese died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aged 73.{{Cite web |title=Ray Abruzzese Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AbruRa20.htm |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), caused by repeated hits to the head.{{cite news |title=The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) |website=Concussion Legacy Foundation |url=https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts |access-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702123543/https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |author=Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/football/cte-study-concussions-brain-tackle.html |title=Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease. |work= The New York Times |date=June 20, 2023 |access-date=July 2, 2023 }}