Leon Gray
Encyclopedia
Leon Gray was an American football
tackle in the National Football League
for the New England Patriots
, Houston Oilers, and the New Orleans Saints
. Gray played college football
at Jackson State University
.
as one of 10 children. He graduated from East Side High School in Olive Branch and earned academic and music scholarships to Jackson State University
. According to the 1978 New England Patriots Media Guide, Gray was also president of the Student Government Association during his time at East Side.
selection and team MVP. He was also named to the All-American teams of both Playboy and Ebony Magazines, as well as the Pittsburgh Courier
. Gray was nicknamed "Big Dog" in college due to his size (295 lbs.)
Gray was selected in the third round of the 1973 NFL Draft
by the Miami Dolphins
. However, due to their depth at offensive line, he never played for the team. He was cut before the start of the 1973 NFL season
and claimed on waivers by the New England Patriots. Gray was recommended to Chuck Fairbanks
, who had just taken over as head coach of the Patriots, by an Eastern Airlines pilot named Bruce Kostamo who had played for Fairbanks in high school. Gray played in the final nine games of the '73 season, starting eight at left tackle. He continued to develop during the 1974
and 1975
seasons and by 1976 he was viewed as one of the best left tackles in the game. Gray was not only strong at run-blocking, but in pass-protection, as well. He was a major factor in quarterback Steve Grogan
being sacked only 14 times in 1977. Along with guard John Hannah, the two formed what was generally considered the best guard/tackle tandem in the NFL. Gray and Hannah also combined with tight end Russ Francis
to form one of the strongest left-side trios in the league. At the end of the 1976 NFL season, Gray was selected to play in the Pro Bowl
for the first time. Due in no small part to the efforts of Gray and Hannah, the Patriots enjoyed one of the finest seasons in franchise history in '76, finishing with an 11-3 record. This earned them the AFC Wild card
spot and a rematch with the Oakland Raiders
. The two teams had met at Schaefer Stadium
in week four of the regular season and the Patriots had handed the Raiders their only loss, a 48-17 drubbing. The rematch in Oakland would not go as well and the team's hopes of winning it all were ended by a close and controversial loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions
in the 1976 AFC Divisional playoff round.
Despite the tough loss, the Patriots were seen by observers as one of the main Super Bowl contenders going into the 1977 NFL season
. Unfortunately for the team, trouble was looming. At the convincing of agent Howard Slusher, Gray and Hannah walked out on the Patriots before the team's final preseason game in an effort to get their contracts renegotiated. The two were unsuccessful in getting new deals and returned before the week 4 regular season game against the Seattle Seahawks
. In the meantime, the Patriots had gotten off to a 1-2 start that included losses to a Cleveland Browns
team that finished 6-8 and a New York Jets
team that finished 3-11. The team won eight of the eleven games that Gray and Hannah played and started in, but their 9-5 overall record was not enough to make it into the 1977 AFC playoff field. The team rebounded from the tragic injury suffered by wide receiver Darryl Stingley
during a pre-season game against the Raiders to once again emerge as contenders during the 1978 NFL season
. The emergence of second-year pro Stanley Morgan
and the acquisition of All-Pro
Harold Jackson
to go along with Russ Francis made their passing attack more potent. Running the ball was still first priority for the team, however, and the Patriots finished that season with a team-total of 3,165 yards, an NFL record that still stands. Gray was rewarded for his role in this by being named to the All-Pro First-teams' of the AP
, Pro Football Weekly
and the PFWA
and was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the second time. Despite all this, controversy would once again derail the Patriots championship hopes. Late in the regular season, with the team 11-4 and the AFC East
divisional winner, Chuck Fairbanks announced that he had decided to leave the Patriots after the conclusion of the 1978 season to become head coach at the University of Colorado
. The news angered some players and particularly enraged owner Billy Sullivan
. Sullivan suspended Fairbanks for breach of contract and the team lost their regular season finale against the Dolphins, 23-3. Fairbanks was reinstated for the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Houston Oilers, but the damage was done and the Patriots were beaten by the Oilers 31-14 in the first postseason game played at Schaefer Stadium.
Shortly before the start of the 1979 NFL season
, Gray was traded to the Oilers for first and sixth-round draft picks. Patriots management saw the deal as a money-saving move. Upon hearing the news, John Hannah said, "We just traded away our Super Bowl." Ron Erhardt
, who had replaced Chuck Fairbanks as the team's head coach, also admitted that he was against the trade. Gray's one-time opponent and now Oiler teammate, Elvin Bethea
, would later say that the trade for Gray was one of the happiest days of his life. He also stated that Gray was at least in the top three of offensive linemen that he had to face during his career. The Oilers had a strong 1979 campaign
, finishing the regular season 11-5 and winning their first two postseason games. However, as with the previous season, they were denied a trip to the Super Bowl by their chief rival (and defending champion), the Pittsburgh Steelers
, in the AFC Championship game. The team again made the playoffs in 1980, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Raiders in the Wild card round. Gray continued to excel during his time with the team, being named 1st Team All-Pro in both 1979 and 1980. He was instrumental in helping Oilers' star running back Earl Campbell
rush for NFL-leading totals of 1,679 yards in 1979 and 1,934 yards in 1980. After being named to the AFC Pro Bowl team for the fourth time at the end of the 1981 NFL season
, Gray was traded from the Oilers to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for quarterback Archie Manning
prior to the start of the 1982 NFL season
. While with the Saints, Gray blocked for two-time Pro Bowl running back George Rogers
. Gray played two seasons with the Saints before retiring from the NFL after the 1983 season. He is still considered arguably the best offensive tackle to play for the New England Patriots. Gray was named to the Patriots All-1970s Team, but was notably absent from their 35th (1994) and 50th Anniversary (2009) Teams.
area after his retirement from 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...
tackle in 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...
for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Houston Oilers, and the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. Gray 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 Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
.
Early life
Gray was born on November 15, 1951 in Olive Branch, MississippiOlive Branch, Mississippi
Olive Branch is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 21,054 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 31,830, making it the ninth-largest city in the state of Mississippi...
as one of 10 children. He graduated from East Side High School in Olive Branch and earned academic and music scholarships to Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
. According to the 1978 New England Patriots Media Guide, Gray was also president of the Student Government Association during his time at East Side.
College career
While at Jackson State, Gray played football for the Tigers from 1970-1973 as an offensive tackle. At the end of his senior season, he received several honors, including a First-team All-SWACSouthwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
selection and team MVP. He was also named to the All-American teams of both Playboy and Ebony Magazines, as well as the Pittsburgh Courier
Pittsburgh Courier
The Pittsburgh Courier was an American newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which was published from 1907 to 1965. Once the country's most widely circulated Black newspaper, the legacy and influence of the Pittsburgh Courier is unparalleled.A pillar of the Black Press, it rose...
. Gray was nicknamed "Big Dog" in college due to his size (295 lbs.)
NFL career
| “'Leon and John Hannah, that's as good a left side as you can get.” |
| Bill Belichick Bill Belichick William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991... |
Gray was selected in the third round of the 1973 NFL Draft
1973 NFL Draft
The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
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...
. However, due to their depth at offensive line, he never played for the team. He was cut before the start of the 1973 NFL season
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
and claimed on waivers by the New England Patriots. Gray was recommended to Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks is a former American football coach, a head coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. The offensive and defensive systems he introduced and helped develop have proven influential in the NFL....
, who had just taken over as head coach of the Patriots, by an Eastern Airlines pilot named Bruce Kostamo who had played for Fairbanks in high school. Gray played in the final nine games of the '73 season, starting eight at left tackle. He continued to develop during the 1974
1974 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1974 season with a record of seven wins and seven losses, and finished tied for third in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Regular season:...
and 1975
1975 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1975 season with a record of three wins and eleven losses, and finished tied for fourth in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Schedule:- Standings :-Roster:...
seasons and by 1976 he was viewed as one of the best left tackles in the game. Gray was not only strong at run-blocking, but in pass-protection, as well. He was a major factor in quarterback Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
being sacked only 14 times in 1977. Along with guard John Hannah, the two formed what was generally considered the best guard/tackle tandem in the NFL. Gray and Hannah also combined with tight end Russ Francis
Russ Francis
Russell Ross Francis , is a former professional football player who was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 1st round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He grew up in Hawaii. A 6'6", 242 lbs. tight end from the University of Oregon, Francis played in 13 NFL seasons. He retired temporarily in 1981, then...
to form one of the strongest left-side trios in the league. At the end of the 1976 NFL season, Gray was selected to play in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
for the first time. Due in no small part to the efforts of Gray and Hannah, the Patriots enjoyed one of the finest seasons in franchise history in '76, finishing with an 11-3 record. This earned them the AFC Wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
spot and a rematch with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The two teams had met at Schaefer Stadium
Foxboro Stadium
Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts...
in week four of the regular season and the Patriots had handed the Raiders their only loss, a 48-17 drubbing. The rematch in Oakland would not go as well and the team's hopes of winning it all were ended by a close and controversial loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions
1976 Oakland Raiders season
-Season:The Road to their first World Championship began on opening day as they faced the reigning world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In their home opener, Oakland trailed 28–14 with just over five minutes to play, yet orchestrated what many to this day refer to as their Comeback Classic of 1976...
in the 1976 AFC Divisional playoff round.
| “Gray had everything-the best footwork, the best balance, the greatest strength.” |
| Elvin Bethea Elvin Bethea Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers... |
Despite the tough loss, the Patriots were seen by observers as one of the main Super Bowl contenders going into the 1977 NFL season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
. Unfortunately for the team, trouble was looming. At the convincing of agent Howard Slusher, Gray and Hannah walked out on the Patriots before the team's final preseason game in an effort to get their contracts renegotiated. The two were unsuccessful in getting new deals and returned before the week 4 regular season game against 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...
. In the meantime, the Patriots had gotten off to a 1-2 start that included losses to a Cleveland Browns
1977 Cleveland Browns season
The 1977 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 28th season with the National Football League. With one game left in the season, head coach Forrest Gregg was fired and replaced by Dick Modzelewski.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1977 NFL Draft....
team that finished 6-8 and a New York Jets
1977 New York Jets season
The 1977 New York Jets season was the 18th season for the team and the 8th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 3–11 record from 1976 under new head coach Walt Michaels. For the third straight season, the Jets finished with a record of...
team that finished 3-11. The team won eight of the eleven games that Gray and Hannah played and started in, but their 9-5 overall record was not enough to make it into the 1977 AFC playoff field. The team rebounded from the tragic injury suffered by wide receiver Darryl Stingley
Darryl Stingley
Darryl Floyd Stingley was an American professional football wide receiver whose career was cut short by an injury. He played his entire career with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He died from heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia.-Early life:Stingley...
during a pre-season game against the Raiders to once again emerge as contenders during the 1978 NFL season
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
. The emergence of second-year pro Stanley Morgan
Stanley Morgan
Stanley Douglas Morgan is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots. Morgan was selected out of the University of Tennessee in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft . He also played one season for the Indianapolis Colts in 1990...
and the acquisition of All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
Harold Jackson
Harold Jackson (American football)
Harold Leon Jackson is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League from 1968 through 1983. Jackson was drafted in the 12th round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams...
to go along with Russ Francis made their passing attack more potent. Running the ball was still first priority for the team, however, and the Patriots finished that season with a team-total of 3,165 yards, an NFL record that still stands. Gray was rewarded for his role in this by being named to the All-Pro First-teams' of the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
and the PFWA
Pro Football Writers Association
Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...
and was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the second time. Despite all this, controversy would once again derail the Patriots championship hopes. Late in the regular season, with the team 11-4 and the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
divisional winner, Chuck Fairbanks announced that he had decided to leave the Patriots after the conclusion of the 1978 season to become head coach at the University of Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
. The news angered some players and particularly enraged owner Billy Sullivan
Billy Sullivan (American football)
William Hallissey "Billy" Sullivan, Jr. was an American businessman who owned the Boston Patriots franchise from their inception in the American Football League until their sale, as the New England Patriots of the NFL, to Victor Kiam in 1988.-Early life:Sullivan was born in Lowell, Massachusetts...
. Sullivan suspended Fairbanks for breach of contract and the team lost their regular season finale against the Dolphins, 23-3. Fairbanks was reinstated for the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Houston Oilers, but the damage was done and the Patriots were beaten by the Oilers 31-14 in the first postseason game played at Schaefer Stadium.
Shortly before the start of the 1979 NFL season
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
, Gray was traded to the Oilers for first and sixth-round draft picks. Patriots management saw the deal as a money-saving move. Upon hearing the news, John Hannah said, "We just traded away our Super Bowl." Ron Erhardt
Ron Erhardt
Ron Erhardt is a former football coach at both the collegiate and professional levels, and from 1979-1981 served as head coach of the National Football League's New England Patriots.-College assistant and high school head coach:...
, who had replaced Chuck Fairbanks as the team's head coach, also admitted that he was against the trade. Gray's one-time opponent and now Oiler teammate, Elvin Bethea
Elvin Bethea
Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers...
, would later say that the trade for Gray was one of the happiest days of his life. He also stated that Gray was at least in the top three of offensive linemen that he had to face during his career. The Oilers had a strong 1979 campaign
1979 Houston Oilers season
The 1979 season was the Houston Oilers 20th season and their 10th in the NFL. The franchise scored 362 points while the defense gave up 331 points. Their record of 11 wins and 5 losses resulted in a second place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared once on Monday Night Football...
, finishing the regular season 11-5 and winning their first two postseason games. However, as with the previous season, they were denied a trip to the Super Bowl by their chief rival (and defending champion), the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, in the AFC Championship game. The team again made the playoffs in 1980, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Raiders in the Wild card round. Gray continued to excel during his time with the team, being named 1st Team All-Pro in both 1979 and 1980. He was instrumental in helping Oilers' star running back Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
rush for NFL-leading totals of 1,679 yards in 1979 and 1,934 yards in 1980. After being named to the AFC Pro Bowl team for the fourth time at the end of the 1981 NFL season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, Gray was traded from the Oilers to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for quarterback Archie Manning
Archie Manning
Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...
prior to the start of the 1982 NFL season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. While with the Saints, Gray blocked for two-time Pro Bowl running back George Rogers
George Rogers (American football)
George Washington Rogers is a former American football player who achieved distinction in both the college and professional ranks as a running back...
. Gray played two seasons with the Saints before retiring from the NFL after the 1983 season. He is still considered arguably the best offensive tackle to play for the New England Patriots. Gray was named to the Patriots All-1970s Team, but was notably absent from their 35th (1994) and 50th Anniversary (2009) Teams.
Post-NFL activities
Gray worked in construction in the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area after his retirement from football.