Ezra Gray, the talented running back from Alabama State, will be a member of the Houston Roughnecks in the newly formed United Football League. The UFL made news recently as the spring football leagues in the USFL and XFL merged. The Roughnecks reportedly selected Gray in the first round of the draft.

Though it is a new league, Gray may be familiar with some of the teams and players. He played in the inaugural season of the USFL as a part of the Memphis Showboats.

Gray dominated the competition as an Alabama State Hornet. Over his career, he rushed for 1,242 yards and seven touchdowns on 291 carries, which averages out to 4.3 yards per attempt. He was also a weapon out of the backfield, catching 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

While Gray's final season in 2021 wasn't statistically one of his best, he still helped keep the 5-6 Hornets afloat. One of the better games of his collegiate career came against Alabama A&M. Though the Hornets fell short 42-28, Gray was not one of the problems. He rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on twelve carries, and he caught two passes for 42 yards. Despite not having a game with 100 rushing yards in 2021, Gray repeatedly ripped off explosive plays in every game. In 2021, he had four games with a single rush of 20 or more yards.

Don't let the numbers in 2021 be a distraction: Gray has had numerous games with over 100 rushing yards in his career. He absolutely torched Jackson State during the spring season in 2021. He galloped for 193 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also had two touchdowns runs of 49 and 50 yards. Former Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders could do nothing but praise Gray for his performance.

“A lot of people didn't even know Ezra Gray,” he said. “I'm sure the whole country knows who he is now because the kid balled, and I'm proud of him, man.”

As the Houston Roughnecks enter their first season in the UFL, they will certainly need to lean on Gray's explosiveness in order to win games.