Ray Preston (American football)

{{Short description|American football player (born 1954)}}

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

{{BLP refimprove|date=March 2016}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2022}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name=Ray Preston

|number=52

|position=Linebacker

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1954|1|25|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.

|height_ft=6

|weight_lb=218

|height_in=0

|high_school=Lawrence (MA)

|college=Syracuse

|draftyear=1976

|draftround=11

|draftpick=295

|pastteams=

• San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|1976|1984}})

|highlights=

• First-team All-American (1975)
• 2× First-team All-East (1974, 1975)

|statlabel1=Sacks

|statvalue1=2.0

|statlabel2=Interceptions

|statvalue2=6

|statlabel3=Fumble recoveries

|statvalue3=4

|pfr=PresRa20

}}

Raymond Newton Preston Jr. (born January 25, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for nine years from 1976 to 1984 with the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). Preston played college football at Syracuse University, where he earned All-American honors in 1975 and was a team captain.{{cite news|title=UT, Aggies Each Have Two On Coaches' A-A|newspaper=Valley Morning Star|agency=AP|date=November 26, 1975|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4497081/ut_aggies_each_have_two_on_coaches_aa/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 18, 2022}} He was drafted in the eleventh round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Chargers.

His son, Duke Preston, was an offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys.