Ray McDonald
Encyclopedia
Raymondo Antoine "Ray" McDonald (born September 2, 1984) is an American professional football
player who is a defensive end
in the National Football League
(NFL). McDonald played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers
of the NFL.
in 1984. He attended Glades Central High School
in Belle Glade, Florida
, and played high school football
for the Glades Central Raiders. As a junior in 2000, he was a starting defensive lineman for the Glades Central Raiders team that won the Florida Class 3A state championship, and was named Palm Beach County
Player of the Year as a senior in 2001.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Ron Zook
and coach Urban Meyer
's Florida Gators football
teams from 2002
to 2006
. The Gators coaching staff decided to redshirt
him as a true freshman in 2002, and worked with the Gators scout team. McDonald was a team captain
of the 2006 Gators
squad that finished 13–1 and defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes
41–14 in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game
to win the Gators' second national championship. Following the 2006 season, he was recognized as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection.
, and he has played for the 49ers during the four seasons since . To date, McDonald has played in fifty-six games with nine starts, and has an interception return and a recovered fumble return, both resulting in touchdowns.
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...
player who is a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
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). McDonald 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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
of the NFL.
Early years
McDonald was born in Pahokee, FloridaPahokee, Florida
Pahokee is a city located on the shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,459. Culturally, Pahokee is associated with the Florida Heartland, although...
in 1984. He attended Glades Central High School
Glades Central High School
Glades Central High School is a high school located in Belle Glade, Florida. It is known for having one of the best high school football teams in the nation, with more football players in the NFL and in the NCAA than any other high school...
in Belle Glade, Florida
Belle Glade, Florida
Belle Glade is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The population was 14,906 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2007, the city had a population of 16,739....
, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for the Glades Central Raiders. As a junior in 2000, he was a starting defensive lineman for the Glades Central Raiders team that won the Florida Class 3A state championship, and was named Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
Player of the Year as a senior in 2001.
College career
McDonald received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
and coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
teams from 2002
2003 Florida Gators football team
The 2003 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2003 college football season...
to 2006
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
. The Gators coaching staff decided to redshirt
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...
him as a true freshman in 2002, and worked with the Gators scout team. McDonald was a team 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 2006 Gators
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
squad that finished 13–1 and defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes
2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team representing the Ohio State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium...
41–14 in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game
2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by Tostitos, was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007. The BCS No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14. The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing...
to win the Gators' second national championship. Following the 2006 season, he was recognized as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection.
Professional career
The San Francisco 49ers selected McDonald in the third round (ninety-seventh pick overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, and he has played for the 49ers during the four seasons since . To date, McDonald has played in fifty-six games with nine starts, and has an interception return and a recovered fumble return, both resulting in touchdowns.
Football family
McDonald's father, Ray McDonald, Sr., was a four-year letterman for the Florida Gators from 1982 to 1985 and was a standout wide receiver on the 1985 Gators team that finished 9–1–1.See also
- 2006 Florida Gators football team2006 Florida Gators football teamThe 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of the San Francisco 49ersHistory of the San Francisco 49ersThis article details the history of the San Francisco 49ers American Football Club. The San Francisco 49ers were the first major league professional sports franchise to be based in San Francisco, and one of the first professional sports teams based on the West Coast of the United States.The 49ers...
- List of Florida Gators football players