- Marcus Ray
-
Marcus Ray Sport(s) Football Biographical details Born August 14, 1976 Place of birth Columbus, Ohio Playing career 1994–1998
1999
2000Michigan
Oakland Raiders
Scottish ClaymoresPosition(s) Defensive back Coaching career (HC unless noted) 2001
2002
2003
2004–2006
2007
2008
2009
2010Lin-McKin HS (OH) (co-DC/DB)
Eastmoor Acad. (OH) (AHC/DC)
Northland HS (OH) (AHC/DC)
Ohio Dominican (DB)
Michigan (GA)
Central Michigan (GA)
Ohio Dominican (assistant)
Mifflin HS (OH) (DC)Accomplishments and honors Awards All-American, 1997 (2nd team: AP and TSN)
2x All-Big Ten Conference (1996–1997)Marcus Kenyon Ray (born August 14, 1976) is an American football coach and former player in the United States. In college, he played for the Michigan Wolverines football team and was a member of the 1997 squad that won a national championship. Ray played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders and for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe. He has since coached football at the high school and college levels.
Contents
Early life and college career
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Ray attended high school at Eastmoor Academy. He played college football at the University of Michigan, red-shirting in 1994 before earning varsity letters and wearing jersey #29 in each of the next four seasons (1995–1998).[1] In 1995, Ray started six games at free safety.[2] The following season in 1996, he started all 12 of Michigan's games at strong safety and earned All-Big Ten Conference honors.[3] Ray intercepted three passes and made 100 total tackles on the season, tied for second best on the team with Jarrett Irons behind leader, Sam Sword.[4]
Ray started all 12 games at strong safety for the 1997 Michigan Wolverines, who won a share of the national championship after completing a 12–0 season with a victory in the Rose Bowl. That season, the Wolverines set the NCAA Division I-A season record for fewest yards allowed per completion by a team.[5] Ray intercepted five passes, second on the team to Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson. His 71 total tackles and 44 solo stops were each third on the team behind those tallied by Sword and Dhani Jones.[4] Ray appeared on the December 1, 1997 cover of Sports Illustrated in an action shot from that season's Michigan – Ohio State football game with Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver, David Boston.[6] Ray once again earned all-conference honors[7][8] and was a second team All-American selection by the Associated Press and Sporting News.[9] The 1998 consensus preseason All-American was selected as a co-captain of the 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team, but he was suspended for six games by the NCAA for associating with a sports agent.[10] As a result, he only started three games in 1998.[11] Ray completed his Michigan football career with ten interceptions, now seventh most in program history. He tallied 229 total tackles including 148 solo stops as a Wolverine.[4]
Professional playing and coaching career
Ray appeared in eight NFL games for the Oakland Raiders in 1999.[12] During the 2000 season, he played with the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe, where he contributed to the team's efforts that took them to the World Bowl.[9]
Ray served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for various high schools in Columbus, Ohio between 2001 and 2003.[9] In 2004, he began a three-year tenure as defensive backs coach at Ohio Dominican University.[9] In 2007, he served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Michigan.[9] The following year, he was a graduate assistant for the Central Michigan Chippewas football team.[9] Ray returned to Ohio Dominican as an assistant coach for a season in 2009. In 2010, he became the defensive coordinator at Mifflin High School in Columbus.
Writing
In 2010, Ray wrote a book of inspirational thoughts entitled, Rays of Light, Volume 1 "Let There Be Light".[13] He published it in 2011 through his company, TEAM RAYROC LLC, of which he is CEO and president.[14]
Family
Ray has four sons: Marcus II, Malik, Marquis, and Jayden.[9]
References
- ^ "University of Michigan Football Rosters". Bentley Historical Library. The Regents of the University of Michigan. http://141.211.39.65/allroster/fbsearch.htm. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ "1995 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan Athletic History. The Regents of the University of Michigan. http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1995fbt.htm. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ "1996 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan Athletic History. The Regents of the University of Michigan. http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1996fbt.htm. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan Official Athletics Site. CBS Interactive. http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 28. http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009FBS.pdf. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Marcus Ray, Football, Michigan Wolverines - 12.01.97 - SI Vault". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/9615/index.htm. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ "1997 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan Athletic History. The Regents of the University of Michigan. http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1997fbt.htm. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ "Big Ten Conference Football Full Media Guide". CBS Interactive/Big Ten Conference. January 5, 2010. p. 76. http://www.bigten.org/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/big10/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/FullFBMG. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Marcus Ray". CMUChippewas.com. http://www.cmuchippewas.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10500&ATCLID=1445666. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ "Plus: College Football; Michigan Safety Out 2 More Games". The New York Times. July 29, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/10/sports/plus-college-football-michigan-safety-out-2-more-games.html.
- ^ "1998 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. April 9, 2007. http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1998fbt.htm. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ "Marcus Ray". Sports Reference LLC. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RayxMa20.htm?redir. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ Ray, Marcus (2011). Rays of Light, Volume 1 "Let There Be Light". TEAM RAYROCK Books. ISBN 0-578-06359-X.
- ^ "Marcus Ray". LinkedIn. http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=107037428. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
External links
- Central Michigan profile
- Marcus Ray at Pro-Football-Reference.com
1997 Michigan Wolverines football—AP national champions Jeff Backus | Tom Brady | David Brandt | Mark Campbell | Scott Dreisbach | Jay Feely | Chris Floyd | Ian Gold | Brian Griese | James Hall | Tommy Hendricks | Chris Howard | Steve Hutchinson | Jon Jansen | Dhani Jones | Marcus Knight | Marcus Ray | Rob Renes | Russell Shaw | Aaron Shea | Glen Steele | Tai Streets | Sam Sword | Anthony Thomas | Jerame Tuman | Andre Weathers | Clarence Williams | Josh Williams | Maurice Williams | Charles Woodson
Head coach: Lloyd Carr
Assistant coaches: Vance Bedford | Mike DeBord | Jim Herrmann | Brady Hoke | Fred Jackson | Terry Malone | Stan ParrishCategories:- 1976 births
- Living people
- Central Michigan Chippewas football coaches
- Michigan Wolverines football coaches
- Michigan Wolverines football players
- Oakland Raiders players
- Scottish Claymores players
- High school football coaches in the United States
- People from Columbus, Ohio
- Players of American football from Ohio
- African American coaches of American football
- African American players of American football
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
