Marcus Ray
Encyclopedia
Marcus Kenyon Ray 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.
, 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). In 1995, Ray started six games at free safety. The following season in 1996, he started all 12 of Michigan's games at strong safety and earned All-Big Ten Conference
honors. 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
.
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. 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
. 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
. Ray once again earned all-conference honors and was a second team All-American
selection by the Associated Press
and Sporting News. 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
. As a result, he only started three games in 1998. 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.
games for the Oakland Raiders in 1999
. 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
.
Ray served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator
for various high schools in Columbus, Ohio
between 2001 and 2003. In 2004, he began a three-year tenure as defensive backs coach
at Ohio Dominican University
. In 2007, he served as a graduate assistant
at his alma mater, Michigan. The following year, he was a graduate assistant for the Central Michigan Chippewas football
team. 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.
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...
coach and former player in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In college, he played for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team and was a member of the 1997 squad
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
that won a national championship. Ray played professionally 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...
(NFL) for 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...
and for the Scottish Claymores
Scottish Claymores
The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. He has since coached football at the high school and college levels.
Early life and college career
A native of Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ray attended high school at Eastmoor Academy
Eastmoor Academy (Columbus, Ohio)
Eastmoor Academy is a public high school located on the east side of Columbus, Ohio. It is part of Columbus City Schools.Eastmoor Academy was formerly known as Eastmoor High School. The school's colors are red, white and blue, and its mascot is a warrior....
. 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 the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, red-shirting
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 1994 before earning varsity letters and wearing jersey #29 in each of the next four seasons (1995–1998). In 1995, Ray started six games at free safety. The following season in 1996, he started all 12 of Michigan's games at strong safety and earned All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
honors. Ray intercepted three passes and made 100 total tackles on the season, tied for second best on the team with Jarrett Irons
Jarrett Irons
Jarrett Irons is a former All-American linebacker who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team from 1993-1996. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Irons was twice selected to the All Big Ten Conference team and was a team co-captain in 1995 and 1996...
behind leader, Sam Sword
Sam Sword
Sam Lee-Arthur Sword is a former American football linebacker who played for the Oakland Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Michigan...
.
Ray started all 12 games at strong safety for the 1997 Michigan Wolverines
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
, who won a share of the national championship after completing a 12–0 season with a victory in the Rose Bowl
1998 Rose Bowl
The 1998 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1998 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was the 84th Rose Bowl Game. The game featured Michigan beating Washington State by a score of 21–16. The ending of the game is controversial...
. That season, the Wolverines set the NCAA Division I-A season record for fewest yards allowed per completion by a team. Ray intercepted five passes, second on the team to Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
. His 71 total tackles and 44 solo stops were each third on the team behind those tallied by Sword and Dhani Jones
Dhani Jones
Dhani Makalani Jones is a former American football linebacker who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earning All-Big Ten honors for three straight seasons. He was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round of...
. Ray appeared on the December 1, 1997 cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
in an action shot from that season's Michigan – Ohio State football game with Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, David Boston
David Boston
David Byron Boston is a professional football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals eighth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
. Ray once again earned all-conference honors and was a second team All-American
1997 College Football All-America Team
The 1997 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and Football News....
selection by the Associated Press
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...
and Sporting News. The 1998 consensus preseason All-American was selected as a co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1998 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The 1998 Wolverines finished the season with a 10–3 record and defeated the...
, but he was suspended for six games by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
for associating with a sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
. As a result, he only started three games in 1998. 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.
Professional playing and coaching career
Ray appeared in eight NFLNational 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...
games for the Oakland Raiders in 1999
1999 Oakland Raiders season
The 1999 Oakland Raiders season was their 40th in the league. They matched their previous season's output of 8–8. Thirteen of the team's sixteen games were decided by a touchdown or less.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
. During the 2000 season, he played with the Scottish Claymores
Scottish Claymores
The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
in NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, where he contributed to the team's efforts that took them to the World Bowl
World Bowl
The World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg .-World League of American Football:When NFL Europe was...
.
Ray served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for various high schools in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
between 2001 and 2003. In 2004, he began a three-year tenure as defensive backs coach
Defensive backs coach
A defensive backs coach or secondary coach is a coach in charge of the safeties and cornerbacks in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL and college football programs. Some common titles are: safeties coach, cornerbacks coach, secondary coach, secondary/safeties coach,...
at Ohio Dominican University
Ohio Dominican University
Ohio Dominican University is a private four-year liberal arts institution, founded in 1911 in the Catholic and Dominican traditions. The main campus spans over in the North Central neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, United States. The university has just over 3,100 students and offers undergraduate...
. In 2007, he served as a graduate assistant
Graduate assistant
A graduate assistant is a position who serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The individual typically assists professors or with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants, coaches with an athletic team, or university department...
at his alma mater, Michigan. The following year, he was a graduate assistant for the Central Michigan Chippewas football
Central Michigan Chippewas football
The Central Michigan Chippewas football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing Central Michigan University. They are a top 25 program in terms of all-time winning percentage and top five amongst all teams from non-BCS automatic qualifying conferences...
team. 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
Mifflin High School (Columbus, Ohio)
Mifflin High School is a public high school located on the northeast side of Columbus, Ohio. It has been part of Columbus City Schools since the early 70's. Previously it was a separate school district. The original high school was located at 3000 Agler Rd in Columbus and is now Mifflin Middle...
in Columbus.