Ray Childress

Infobox NFLretired


position=Defensive Tackle
number=79
birthdate=birth date and age|1962|10|20
Memphis, Tennessee
debutyear=1985
finalyear=1996
draftyear=1985
draftround=1
draftpick=3
college=Texas A&M
teams=
* Houston Oilers (1985-1995)
* Dallas Cowboys (1996 )
stat1label=Sacks
stat1value=76.5
stat2label=Games
stat2value=163
stat3label=Safeties
stat3value=1
nfl=CHI387604
highlights=
* 5x Pro Bowl selection (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993)
* 6x All-Pro selection (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993)
* NFL Record 3 Fumble Recoveries in One Game
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Raymond Clay Childress, Jr. (born October 20, 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee) is a former American football defensive lineman in the NFL for the Houston Oilers from 1985-1996, earning Pro Bowl honors five times.

He shares the NFL record for fumble recoveries in a single game, having recovered three from the Washington Redskins on October 30, 1988. [cite web
author=NFL History
title=Record & Fact Book
url=http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/fumbles
publisher=NFL.com
date=2005] While playing college football at Texas A&M, Childress was twice named an All-American, and he ranks fifth all-time at the university in both career tackles and career sacks. [cite web
author=Aggie Athletics
title=Texas A&M Athletics Football History
url=http://www.aggieathletics.com/index2.php?SID=MFB&pageID=1369
publisher=Texas A&M University
date=2006] He was recently inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. [cite web
author=Texas A&M Athletics
title=Texas A&M All-Americans
url=http://www.aggieathletics.com/index2.php?SID=MFB&pageID=1369
publisher=Texas A&M Athletics
date=]

College

Childress was an All-American as a junior in 1983 and again as a senior in 1984. As a junior, Childress had 15 quarterback sacks and 117 tackles. As a senior, he anchored an Aggie defense that ranked No. 5 nationally in pass defense (127.5 yards per game). That year, he recorded 124 tackles and 10 sacks. His 25 career sacks was then a school record for a non-linebacker and his 360 tackles then ranked fourth on A&M’s career list.

NFL

Drafted from Texas A&M with the third overall pick in the 1985 draft to play defensive end, Childress moved to defensive tackle in 1990 when defensive coordinator Jim Eddy switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 scheme, necessitating an extra lineman. Childress was already a Pro Bowl end and had even filled in at nose guard on occasion. After the move, he would end up as a Pro Bowl selection in Hawaii four more times as a defensive tackle. As a testament to his excellence, four of the eight lowest single-season rushing totals allowed in Oilers history came between 1990 and 1993, with Childress at tackle.cite web
author=Houston Pro Football
title=Ray Childress Bio
url=http://www.houstonprofootball.com/team/dt1.html
publisher=
date=2005]

Childress was not a one-dimensional player -- he was as effective against the pass as he was against the run. He finished his Oiler career ranked second all-time in quarterback sacks and sixth all-time in tackles, joining Elvin Bethea as the only defensive linemen among the Oilers' top 10 in both categories. Childress led or shared the team sack lead from 1986-1989 and finished with the most single-season sacks for a defensive tackle (13) in 1992. For his 11-year career, Childress registered 13 multi-sack games.Childress may be best remembered for coming up with huge plays at crucial moments of games. He had an incredible seven fumble recoveries in 1988, two shy of the NFL single-season record. Three of those came in the Oilers' memorable 41-17 whipping of the Redskins, broadcast on ESPN October 30, 1988. Childress was the foundation of a remarkable defensive unit saw Houston make seven consecutive playoff appearances. During the prime of his career, he was considered by many to be the best defensive tackle in football. With the Oilers unable to fit his salary in under the newly founded salary cap system, he was forced to play one season as a backup for Dallas in 1996 before retiring. Childress will always be remembered by his fans as not only a star, but also a blue-collar iron man. Until a shoulder separation ended his season (an injury that would thereafter be the determining factor in his decision to retire) in his final season with the Cowboys, Childress missed only 3 non-strike games due to injury, playing 154 games along the defensive line from 1985-1994.

Philanthropy

Along with his wife, Kara, Childress started the Childress Foundation in Houston, Texas in 1995 to help the city's mentally challenged children further their education and become involved with community service. [cite web
author=Childress Foundation
title=Childress Foundation Academy
url=http://nhs.springbranchisd.com/staff/miller1d/childress.htm
publisher=Northbrook High School
date=] Since its inception, the Childress Foundation has provided over $1.2 million in college scholarships and has benefited more than 1,300 high-school aged children.

Business

Today, Childress serves as chairman and CEO of Ray Childress Auto Group. [cite web
author=Yahoo! Finance
title=Ray Childress Auto Group, L.P. Company Profile
url=http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/114/114693.html
publisher=Yahoo!
date=2006] The company operates the Lawrence Marshall auto dealership in the small town of Hempstead, Texas, approximately fifty miles from Houston, where Childress has gained notoriety through television advertisements in which he promises to "clobber big-city prices."

References