Gray, Jerry Don 2008-06-26
Gray a graduate of Lubbock Estacado High School and an alumnus of the University of Texas, reminisces over his athletic career. Specifically he discusses his football playing career from childhood, through college and into the professionals. Additionally, Gray talks about the influence of Coach Louis Kelly (Estacado,) his own coaching career (college and professional,) the now defunct Southwest Conference and the Big 12
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Jerry Don Gray
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: June 26, 2008
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: Daniel Sanchez
Length: 01:10:54
Abstract
Introduction, Jerry Don Gray, Birth date and birthplace, Family, Parents, Siblings, Grandparents, Mother, Grandparents (again), Grandmother’s Native American heritage, Siblings (again), Childhood, Athletics, Exposure to Estacado High School football games, Watching the stars from early 1974, Coach Louis Kelley, Sims brothers, Estacado High School’s athletic reputation, Impact on the student athlete, Legacy, Coach Kelly (again), Influence on his players, His work ethic, Disciplinarian, Successful vs. unsuccessful student athletic, Cross-town rivals, Estacado’s success during Gray’s tenure, Three straight trips to the state semi-finals, Gray (again), Individual awards/accolades, Focus on the state championships, Track team, Impact on the next batch of players, Recruiters, Preparing himself for college, Athletics, Academics, Recruitment (again), Different schools, Letting the schools he didn’t want to go to their school, University of Texas’s offer, Switch to defensive back, John Moss was recruiting him was straight up about where they wanted to put him, Desire to receive a degree, Fred Ackers, Teammates he played with as a freshman, Realizing he had a chance to become a better player, Number of players drafted from Texas to NFL during his freshman year, Impact of watching those successful players, The mentality was that of a professional team, Southwest Conference then, Players during the early 1980s, Talks about all the quality schools in the league, The level of in conference competition, National respect, Comparisons to Big 12, Balancing Athletics and the classroom, Impact of a bible course his freshman year, Social life during college, Student Union functions, Playing basketball during the off-season, The impact of living on campus, Rapport between the players from the different sports, All of Texas’s sports programs were highly successful, The National Football League Draft, Taken as the 21st player by the Los Angeles Rams, Rookie Year in the National Football League, Rams switching him to corner, Players, Memories of watching Eric Dickerson, Amazed with what he did on the field, Complementing his natural attributes and his work ethic Gray, His work ethic, Working in the film room, Taking notes, Started to anticipate due to his study habits, Slowing the game down, by preparing yourself film wise, Breaking down technique, Interviewer stops to check on the tape, Interview resumes, Gray, He decision as a free agent to go to the Houston Rockets, Houston Rockets, Players, One year stay, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Began thinking about coaching, At the end of that year he began weighing his options, Coaching career, First coaching job at Southern Methodist University, Southern Methodist University, Interviewed for the Head coaching position, Leaving interview for a position under the new head coach, Timing of Tennessee’s offer to coach in the NFL, Quality Control, SMU (again), Difficulty going into the situation where the players had lost, Success prior to the death penalty, Players’ started to understand how to win, Lasting legacy of the death penalty, Tennessee Titans (again), Preparing the players for the game, Convincing players the importance of studying the game, The importance of using computers, Learning how to be a coach, His drive to become the best, The luxury of always going through the learning curve before entering the fire, Buffalo Bills, Impact of the salary cap, London Fletcher, Dick LeBeau, Going from position coach to defensive coordinator, Desire to be a head coach, Ideal situation, College players’ needs versus professional, His belief he could be successful at either the college or pro level, The example of the recent Black head coaches that have made it to the Super Bowl, Speaks more of being prepared to show what you can do regardless of race, ethnicity, etc., Jerry Gray Foundation, Desire to show some Estacado High School students another life, Texas Tech partnership through Mentor Tech with Estacado High School, Importance of education, Instilling an inner drive in today’s youth, Responsibilities’ of the students, The importance of patience, discipline, Working for something, Realizing that those future rewards come from today’s work/effort, The importance of respecting the adults
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Transcript: No transcript available
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