Ray Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Raymond Canute Donaldson (born May 18, 1958 in Rome, Georgia
) is a former American football
Center
who played 17 seasons in the National Football League
. He was selected to six Pro Bowl
s (four of them in his stay with the Colts) and then he played in Super Bowl XXX
as a member of the Dallas Cowboys
. Donaldson played college football
at the University of Georgia
.
and guard
at Georgia University, and was an All-Southeastern Conference
selection his senior year.
In 2006 he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
.
in the 2nd round of the 1980 NFL Draft
. He played with the Colts for 13 years and made the Pro Bowl
4 straight seasons from 1986
to 1989
.
He was released at the end of the 1992 season
at age 35. He left the team ranked third in franchise history in games played (184). To this day, he is still tied for second-place all-time for years of service with the team, trailing only Johnny Unitas
who spent 17 years with the franchise.
and played there from 1993
to 1994
.
after Mark Stepnoski
signed with the Houston Oilers, the Dallas Cowboys
signed Donaldson as an unrestricted free agent in 1995
. That season he helped the team win Super Bowl XXX
.
He was part of a great offensive line that included: Larry Allen
, Nate Newton
, Mark Tuinei
and Erik Williams
.
Donaldson retired at the end of the 1996 season
, after playing for 17 years and 244 games. During his time with the Cowboys, he experienced a career renaissance, making the Pro Bowl
both seasons.
where he is a high school football coach.
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
) is a former American 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...
Center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who played 17 seasons 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...
. He was selected to six 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...
s (four of them in his stay with the Colts) and then he played in Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
as a member of the Dallas Cowboys
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...
. Donaldson 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 Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
.
Early years
Donaldson centerCenter (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
and guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
at Georgia University, and was an 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...
selection his senior year.
In 2006 he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in America at .-Exhibitions:The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Inductees, High School, collegiate sports, Olympic, Paralympic,...
.
Baltimore Colts
Donaldson, was drafted by the Baltimore ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in the 2nd round of the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 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 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. He played with the Colts for 13 years and made 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...
4 straight seasons from 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
to 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
.
He was released at the end of the 1992 season
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
at age 35. He left the team ranked third in franchise history in games played (184). To this day, he is still tied for second-place all-time for years of service with the team, trailing only Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
who spent 17 years with the franchise.
Seattle Seahawks
He signed with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle 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...
and played there from 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
to 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
.
Dallas Cowboys
Needing help at centerCenter (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
after Mark Stepnoski
Mark Stepnoski
Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh....
signed with the Houston Oilers, the Dallas Cowboys
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...
signed Donaldson as an unrestricted free agent in 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
. That season he helped the team win Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
.
He was part of a great offensive line that included: Larry Allen
Larry Allen
Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
, Nate Newton
Nate Newton
Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985...
, Mark Tuinei
Mark Tuinei
Mark Pulemau Tuinei was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
and Erik Williams
Erik Williams
Erik George Williams is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he was an NAIA All-American offensive lineman. Williams was...
.
Donaldson retired at the end of the 1996 season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, after playing for 17 years and 244 games. During his time with the Cowboys, he experienced a career renaissance, making 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...
both seasons.
Personal life
He currently resides in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
where he is a high school football coach.