Ray Childress
Encyclopedia
Raymond Clay Childress, Jr. (born October 20, 1962) is a former American football
defensive lineman in the NFL
for the Houston Oilers
from 1985–1996, earning Pro Bowl
honors five times.
He shares the NFL record for fumble recoveries in a single game, having recovered three from the Washington Redskins
on October 30, 1988.
While playing college football
at Texas A&M
, Childress was twice named an All-America
n, and he ranks fifth all-time at the university in both career tackles and career sacks.
He was recently inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
.
he was a consensus All-America selection. He was also a two-time All-Southwest Conference pick. As a senior, he anchored an Aggie defense that ranked No. 5 nationally in pass defense (127.5 yards per game). That year, he recorded 124 tackles and 10 sacks. His 25 career sacks was then a school record for a non-linebacker and his 360 tackles then ranked fourth on A&M’s career list. Ray was named to the College Football Hall of Fame
in the class of 2010.
with the third overall pick in the 1985 draft
to play defensive end
, Childress moved to defensive tackle in 1990 when defensive coordinator
Jim Eddy
switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 scheme, necessitating an extra lineman. Childress was already a Pro Bowl
end and had even filled in at nose guard on occasion. After the move, he would end up as a Pro Bowl selection in Hawaii four more times as a defensive tackle. As a testament to his excellence, four of the eight lowest single-season rushing totals allowed in Oilers history came between 1990 and 1993, with Childress at tackle.
Childress was not a one-dimensional player—he was as effective against the pass as he was against the run. He finished his Oiler career ranked second all-time in quarterback sacks and sixth all-time in tackles, joining Elvin Bethea
as the only defensive linemen among the Oilers' top 10 in both categories. Childress led or shared the team sack lead from 1986–1989 and finished with the most single-season sacks for a defensive tackle (13) in 1992. For his 11-year career, Childress registered 13 multi-sack games.
Childress may be best remembered for coming up with huge plays at crucial moments of games. He had an incredible seven fumble recoveries in 1988, two shy of the NFL single-season record. Three of those came in the Oilers' memorable 41-17 whipping of the Redskins
, broadcast on ESPN
October 30, 1988. Childress was the foundation of a remarkable defensive unit saw Houston make seven consecutive playoff appearances. During the prime of his career, he was considered by many to be the best defensive tackle in football. With the Oilers unable to fit his salary in under the newly founded salary cap system, he was forced to play one season as a backup for Dallas
in 1996 before retiring. Childress will always be remembered by his fans as not only a star, but also a blue-collar iron man. Until a shoulder separation ended his season (an injury that would thereafter be the determining factor in his decision to retire) in his final season with the Cowboys, Childress missed only 3 non-strike games due to injury, playing 154 games along the defensive line from 1985-1994.
in 1995 to help the city's mentally challenged children further their education and become involved with community service
. Since its inception, the Childress Foundation has provided over $1.2 million in college scholarship
s and has benefited more than 1,300 high-school aged children.
of Ray Childress Auto Group.
The company operates the Lawrence Marshall auto dealerships in Houston, Texas
and the small town of Hempstead, Texas
, approximately fifty miles from Houston, where Childress has gained notoriety through television advertisement
s in which he promises to "clobber big-city prices." Lawrence Marshall dealerships closed its doors the afternoon of Feb. 4, 2009. The corporation closing can apparently be traced back to the national credit crunch. As car buyers are unable to get loans, dealerships are unable to make sales and are forced to close their doors.
Ray has recently started a new company called Childress Directional Drilling, which is filled with experienced workers and excellent service.
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...
defensive lineman in the NFL
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 Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
from 1985–1996, earning 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...
honors five times.
He shares the NFL record for fumble recoveries in a single game, having recovered three from the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on October 30, 1988.
While playing 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 Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, Childress was twice named an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, and he ranks fifth all-time at the university in both career tackles and career sacks.
He was recently inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame recognizes athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made "lasting fame and honor to Texas sports". It was established in 1951 by the Texas Sports Writers Association. Once it made its first induction in 1951, Texas became the first U.S...
.
College
As a junior, Childress posted 15 quarterback sacks and 117 tackles and was as a First-team All-America in 1983. As a senior in 19841984 College Football All-America Team
The 1984 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
he was a consensus All-America selection. He was also a two-time All-Southwest Conference pick. As a senior, he anchored an Aggie defense that ranked No. 5 nationally in pass defense (127.5 yards per game). That year, he recorded 124 tackles and 10 sacks. His 25 career sacks was then a school record for a non-linebacker and his 360 tackles then ranked fourth on A&M’s career list. Ray was named to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in the class of 2010.
NFL
Drafted from Texas A&MTexas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
with the third overall pick in the 1985 draft
1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 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 30 and May 1, 1985...
to play 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...
, Childress moved to defensive tackle in 1990 when 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...
Jim Eddy
Jim Eddy
Jim Eddy is a football coach who worked in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, as well as in college.Eddy's coaching career began in 1968 when he joined the coaching staff of the New Mexico State Aggies at his alma mater, New Mexico State University. In 1972, he left NMSU to...
switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 scheme, necessitating an extra lineman. Childress was already a 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...
end and had even filled in at nose guard on occasion. After the move, he would end up as a Pro Bowl selection in Hawaii four more times as a defensive tackle. As a testament to his excellence, four of the eight lowest single-season rushing totals allowed in Oilers history came between 1990 and 1993, with Childress at tackle.
Childress was not a one-dimensional player—he was as effective against the pass as he was against the run. He finished his Oiler career ranked second all-time in quarterback sacks and sixth all-time in tackles, joining Elvin Bethea
Elvin Bethea
Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers...
as the only defensive linemen among the Oilers' top 10 in both categories. Childress led or shared the team sack lead from 1986–1989 and finished with the most single-season sacks for a defensive tackle (13) in 1992. For his 11-year career, Childress registered 13 multi-sack games.
Childress may be best remembered for coming up with huge plays at crucial moments of games. He had an incredible seven fumble recoveries in 1988, two shy of the NFL single-season record. Three of those came in the Oilers' memorable 41-17 whipping of the Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, broadcast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
October 30, 1988. Childress was the foundation of a remarkable defensive unit saw Houston make seven consecutive playoff appearances. During the prime of his career, he was considered by many to be the best defensive tackle in football. With the Oilers unable to fit his salary in under the newly founded salary cap system, he was forced to play one season as a backup for Dallas
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in 1996 before retiring. Childress will always be remembered by his fans as not only a star, but also a blue-collar iron man. Until a shoulder separation ended his season (an injury that would thereafter be the determining factor in his decision to retire) in his final season with the Cowboys, Childress missed only 3 non-strike games due to injury, playing 154 games along the defensive line from 1985-1994.
Philanthropy
Along with his wife, Kara, Childress started the Childress Foundation in Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1995 to help the city's mentally challenged children further their education and become involved with community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. Since its inception, the Childress Foundation has provided over $1.2 million in college scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s and has benefited more than 1,300 high-school aged children.
Business
Childress serves as chairman and CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Ray Childress Auto Group.
The company operates the Lawrence Marshall auto dealerships in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and the small town of Hempstead, Texas
Hempstead, Texas
Hempstead is a city in Waller County, Texas, United States. The community, located at the junctions of U.S. Highway 290, Texas State Highway 6, and Texas State Highway 159, is around fifty miles northwest of Downtown Houston. The population was 4,691 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of...
, approximately fifty miles from Houston, where Childress has gained notoriety through television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s in which he promises to "clobber big-city prices." Lawrence Marshall dealerships closed its doors the afternoon of Feb. 4, 2009. The corporation closing can apparently be traced back to the national credit crunch. As car buyers are unable to get loans, dealerships are unable to make sales and are forced to close their doors.
Ray has recently started a new company called Childress Directional Drilling, which is filled with experienced workers and excellent service.