Eric Gray (American football)

Eric DeWayne Gray (born November 4, 1999) is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Early years
Gray grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Lausanne Collegiate School. He was named Tennessee Mr. Football after rushing for 2,251 yards and 38 touchdowns in his sophomore season. As a junior, Gray rushed for 3,151 yards and 45 touchdowns and was selected the Tennessee Gatorade Football Player of the Year and repeated as Tennessee Mr. Football. In his sophomore and junior year, he won the Tennessee High School Championship. Rated a four-star recruit, he initially committed to play college football at Michigan during the summer going into his senior year. He was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year a second time and Mr. Football for a third straight season as a senior. Towards the end of his senior season, Gray decommitted from Michigan and reopened his recruitment. He ultimately committed to play at Tennessee a few weeks later.

College career
As a true freshman, Gray gained 539 yards and scored four touchdowns on 101 carries and caught 13 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 246 yards, a school record for a freshman, and three touchdowns in the Volunteers final regular season game against Vanderbilt and was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week. Gray lead Tennessee with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 157 attempts and also gained 254 yards and scored two touchdowns on 30 receptions. In January 2021, Gray announced that he was entering the transfer portal.

Gray chose to transfer to the University of Oklahoma. In the 2021 season, Gray had 78 carries for 412 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 229 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. In the 2022 season, Gray took over the Sooners' backfield. On November 12 against West Virginia, he had 25 carries for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the road loss. In the 2022 season, Gray had 213 carries for 1,366 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns to go with 33 receptions for 229 receiving yards. He had eight games on the season going over 100 rushing yards and four with two rushing touchdowns.

Professional career
Gray was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round, 172nd overall, of the 2023 NFL draft. He was placed on injured reserve on October 25, 2023. He was activated on November 25.

As a rookie, Gray appeared in 13 games. He had a small role on the offense to go with occasional kickoff and punt return duties.