Chris Gray (American football)
Encyclopedia
Christopher William Gray (born June 19, 1970 in Birmingham, Alabama
) is a former American football
guard
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Auburn
.
Gray played four seasons with the Dolphins until 1996, one season for the Chicago Bears
in 1997 and finally over a decade with the Seattle Seahawks
. He retired from the Seahawks prior to the 2008 season because he was "at risk for paralysis because of a lower back and spine injury...."
Chris Gray holds the Seahawks franchise record for consecutive starts with 121 and is 9th for total games with 145.
Although he never made it into the Pro Bowl, he was an integral part of the offensive line that blocked for Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander during their five consecutive playoff appearances (2003–2007), including Alexander's MVP year in 2005. He was also on the 1999 AFC West Champion Seahawks. During his career with the Seahawks, he played every position on the their offensive line.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25-26, 1993...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
.
Gray played four seasons with the Dolphins until 1996, one season for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1997 and finally over a decade with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. He retired from the Seahawks prior to the 2008 season because he was "at risk for paralysis because of a lower back and spine injury...."
Chris Gray holds the Seahawks franchise record for consecutive starts with 121 and is 9th for total games with 145.
Although he never made it into the Pro Bowl, he was an integral part of the offensive line that blocked for Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander during their five consecutive playoff appearances (2003–2007), including Alexander's MVP year in 2005. He was also on the 1999 AFC West Champion Seahawks. During his career with the Seahawks, he played every position on the their offensive line.