A Morehead State Athletic Hall of Fame member and the 1966 Ohio Valley Conference football Player of the Year, Tommie Gray, has passed away. Gray was from Birmingham, Ala.
Shortly after racial barriers were broken in the OVC, Gray became a two-sport star and one of the first notable black athletes at Morehead State and in the league. A lightning-quick athlete, Gray was nearly unstoppable on the football field and performed admirably on the track as well. He won the OVC individual title in the 220-yard dash at the 1965 league meet.
The following year, Gray was named the OVC football Offensive Player of the Year when he rushed for a then-MSU record 14 touchdowns. Gray was a standout halfback from 1964-67 and still ranks in the top 10 in program history with 1,604 career rushing yards. He was a key component for the Eagles winning the 1966 OVC championship.
He held numerous records when he finished his career, including best rushing average for a career (5.6 yards per attempt), most points scored in a career (172), most touchdowns in a career (28), best punt return average in a season (23.5 yards per return) and longest fumble return (65 yards).
Gray was selected in the 1968 National Football League draft in the eighth round by the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986.
Morehead State sends it condolences to the Gray family.
By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations