Team: Edmonton Eskimos
Number/Position: #15 / QB
Date of Birth: October 22, 1979
Not so very long ago Ricky Ray was living the life
of a semi-normal guy - one day slinging potato chips
for a living - the next taking a run at a job with an
Arena2 team. Along came a tryout with the San Francisco
49ers, dressing for one pre-season game, and the rest
is history. He played 7 games for the Fresno Frenzy
and caught the eye of former CFL quarterback Rick Worman.
It was suggested that Ricky think about going north.
So, Ray thought he would try his hand at the Canadian
Football League (or simply called Canadian League in
some areas State-side) One thing led to another and
soon enough Ray was starting for the Eskimos - and excelling
to boot. But it hasn't been so long ago, that he has
forgotten the early days. "I think about how far
I have come professionally. I thought I might be done
with football two years ago, but I got a break and was
invited to the 49'ers camp. Then I played AFL2 with
Fresno and that led me to coming to Edmonton,"
Ray told CFL.ca recently.
Ray has even remained calm in the wake of all of the
Frito Lay craze and the Ricky Ray-Frito Lay campaign
that was a success in Edmonton, and spread across the
country in waves. In fact he finds it somewhat amusing.
"Above all else it's a lot of fun. I worked for
Frito Lay coming out of university and "Frito Ray"
has a nice ring to it", he added.
One of the more amazing attributes Ray possesses is
his ability to stay calm under pressure. Most pundits
of the three-down game are surprised one so young can
handle the heat, in fine fashion, Ray remains unfazed.
"That's my personality. I believe you do your work
through the week in practice and when it's game time,
the preparation and ability take over."
And Ray's ability seems to be a custom fit for the
CFL. His ability to make quick reads and scramble out
of trouble when needed adds another dimension to the
already potent Eskimo offence, and Ray recognizes that.
"The wide field and style of play suit me very
well because I like to throw a lot", he continued.
"And in the Eskimo style of offence it gives me
a number of options to go to."
It's good to have options. They can help on the road
to the Grey Cup. The Esks came oh-so close in 2002,
succumbing to the Alouettes on their home turf in yet
another exciting final. But they are looking for big
things this year, including another trip to the final,
this one with a different outcome. And Ray can't wait.
"We have lots of returning veterans and we've added
some key free-agents who know what it takes to get to
the Grey Cup", number 15 added. "And you know,
I've never won a championship, so winning a Grey Cup
would definitely be a high point for me."
And for fans of the Green and Gold.
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