Ray McDonald (running back)
Encyclopedia
Ray Douglas McDonald was a professional American football
player, a running back
in the National Football League
for the Washington Redskins
for two seasons, from 1967
-68
.
McDonald was born in McKinney
, a segregated suburb of Dallas
. After 17 years in McKinney, he followed his high school coach to Caldwell, Idaho
in 1961, where he attended Caldwell High School for two years, graduating in 1963. At 6'2" and 220 pounds, he was a high school All-American and was compared to NFL great Jim Brown
.
McDonald then attended the University of Idaho
in Moscow
. As a speedy fullback
for the Vandals, he was known as "Thunder Ray" and led the nation in rushing in 1966 with 1329 yards. At an imposing 6'4", 248 pounds, he was the dominant player in the Big Sky Conference
, and was the leading rusher for Idaho in all three years of eligibility (1964–66), averaging 133 yards rushing per game for his collegiate career. (Freshman were ineligible for NCAA varsity participation until the 1970s.)
McDonald was timed in the 100-yard dash
at 9.9 seconds and was a first-team All-American. He threw the discus
and was a national-class hurdler on the Vandal track
team.
Ray McDonald was selected in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft
by the Washington Redskins
, the 13th overall pick, a personal choice by owner Edward Bennett Williams
. He signed a three-year guaranteed contract for $100,000.
In 1968, he was arrested by Washington, D.C.
police for having sex with a man in public. Injuries also played a part in cutting short his career and by 1969 he was out of pro football.
Ray McDonald eventually became a junior high music teacher. After an extended battle, he died of complications due to AIDS
at Parkland Hospital in Dallas
, on May 4, 1993, three days before his 49th birthday, with a body weight less than half of his NFL playing weight. The cause of death was originally reported as complications from sickle cell anemia.
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, a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
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...
for 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,...
for two seasons, from 1967
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
-68
1968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
.
McDonald was born in McKinney
McKinney, Texas
McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States, and the second in population to Plano. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 131,117 The Census Bureau listed McKinney as the nation's fastest growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in...
, a segregated suburb of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. After 17 years in McKinney, he followed his high school coach to Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....
in 1961, where he attended Caldwell High School for two years, graduating in 1963. At 6'2" and 220 pounds, he was a high school All-American and was compared to NFL great Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
.
McDonald then attended the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
. As a speedy fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the Vandals, he was known as "Thunder Ray" and led the nation in rushing in 1966 with 1329 yards. At an imposing 6'4", 248 pounds, he was the dominant player in the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
, and was the leading rusher for Idaho in all three years of eligibility (1964–66), averaging 133 yards rushing per game for his collegiate career. (Freshman were ineligible for NCAA varsity participation until the 1970s.)
McDonald was timed in the 100-yard dash
100-yard dash
The 100 yard dash is a track and field event of 100 yards or 91.44 metres. It was part of the Commonwealth Games until 1966, and was included in the decathlon of the Olympics, at least in 1904. It is not generally used in international events...
at 9.9 seconds and was a first-team All-American. He threw the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and was a national-class hurdler on the Vandal track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team.
Ray McDonald was selected in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft
1967 NFL Draft
The 1967 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft in the first year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on March 14–15.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
by 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,...
, the 13th overall pick, a personal choice by owner Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams was a Washington, D.C. trial attorney who founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly and owned several professional sports teams...
. He signed a three-year guaranteed contract for $100,000.
In 1968, he was arrested by Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
police for having sex with a man in public. Injuries also played a part in cutting short his career and by 1969 he was out of pro football.
Ray McDonald eventually became a junior high music teacher. After an extended battle, he died of complications due to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
at Parkland Hospital in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, on May 4, 1993, three days before his 49th birthday, with a body weight less than half of his NFL playing weight. The cause of death was originally reported as complications from sickle cell anemia.
External links
- University of Idaho - Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame - Ray McDonald