Ricky Ray (born October 22, 1979) is an American former professional
Canadian football
Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
. Ray spent the majority of his professional career with the
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
and
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). He also briefly spent time in the
af2
The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
, as well as with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Ray is the all-time leader in passing yardage, pass completions, and passing touchdowns for both the
Edmonton Elks
The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
and Toronto Argonauts. He won a
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
championship four times as a starter, in
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
,
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, and
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
.
College career
In 1997, Ray made his debut for
Shasta College
Shasta College is a public community college in Redding, California, with branch campuses in Burney, Weaverville, and Red Bluff. It was founded in 1950 and later moved to a much larger campus while the original campus became the new locati ...
, a two-year
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
in
Redding, California
Redding is the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California and the county seat of Shasta County. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, north of Sacramento, and south of California's northern border wi ...
. He became a first-team
All-American and state player of the year in 1998. He also set several school records during his time at Shasta, most notably throwing 199 consecutive pass attempts without allowing an interception. On December 20, 2014, Ricky was inducted into the
Shasta County
Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from the 2010 census. The county seat is Redding.
Shasta ...
Sports Hall Of Fame.
Ray moved on to play
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
with
Sacramento State University
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
. In 1999, Ray completed 179 of 291 passes for 2,422 yards and 20 touchdowns. In 2000, he completed 168 of 270 passes (62.2%) for 13 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. Ray is still in the top ten for many Sacramento State career passing records.
College statistics
Professional career
National Football League
San Francisco 49ers
After his college career ended in 2000, Ray, having gone undrafted by the NFL, attended training camp with the NFL's
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, but did not make the team and only dressed for a single pre-season game. He earned the nickname "Frito Ray" by teammates, as he was working as a delivery driver for Frito-Lay chips when he was called up for training camp.
AF2
Fresno Frenzy
Ray made his professional debut with the
Fresno Frenzy of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
's developmental league
af2
The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
. He played seven games for the Frenzy, where he was coached by former
CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
quarterback
Rick Worman
Rick Worman (born October 21, 1963) is a former American football quarterback and coach. He played college football at Eastern Washington University. He then played for the Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the ...
. He completed 116 passes for 1,296 yards, 25 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
[Highlights](_blank)
/ref> Worman was instrumental in arranging a tryout with the Eskimos.
Canadian Football League
Edmonton Eskimos
In 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, Ray made the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos out of training camp. The Eskimos were considered one of the strongest teams in the West Division at the time. However, the Eskimos were deep at quarterback. Starter Jason Maas
Jason Maas (born November 19, 1975) is the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and a former Canadian football quarterback in the CFL. He is best known for his playing career with the Edmonton Eskimos where h ...
was considered one of the best at his position in the league. Ray started the season as the Eskimos' third-string quarterback.
Late in the fourth quarter of a Week Four game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
, Maas was knocked out of the game, and would not be available for the Week Five matchup against the rival BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions played their first season ...
. Ray made his debut relieving Maas in the Saskatchewan game and his first start against the Lions, throwing for four touchdowns. Ray threw for 2,991 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with a quarterback rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leagu ...
of 101.3, highest in the league.
With Maas still recovering from injury, Ray led the Eskimos to the Grey Cup
The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
game against Montréal. Ray threw for 324 yards, but the Eskimos lost the 90th Grey Cup
The 90th Grey Cup was the 2002 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 24 at Commonwealth Stadium, in Edmonton, Alberta. The Alouettes defeated the Eskimos 25–16 in th ...
to the Alouettes 26-16 at home. Ray failed to convert on a vital two-point conversion late in the game that could have tied the affair at 18–18. The failure forced the Eskimos into an onside kick
In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...
attempt, which failed as Montréal returned it for a touchdown and took a lead that they would not lose. During the year, Ray received Offensive Player of the Week and Month honours, but was ineligible for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, due to his brief NFL experience.
Maas returned for the 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
season, setting up a quarterback duel between Maas and Ray during training camp. However, Maas sustained a back injury during the off-season, a condition that would require surgery. Ray remained the starter even after Maas returned.
Despite splitting time early in the year, Ray ended with a 67.6 completion percentage, 4,640 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and was a candidate for the Most Outstanding Player award. The Eskimos rebounded from their slow start and made the playoffs, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
in the Western final as Ray threw for 356 yards. The 91st Grey Cup
The 91st Grey Cup was the 2003 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 16 at Taylor Field, in Regina, Saskatchewan before 50,909 fans. The two teams had played during t ...
in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
featured the Eskimos against the Alouettes. The Eskimos defeated the Alouettes 34–22, for the team's first Grey Cup in a decade. Ray played exceptionally against Alouettes coach Don Matthews
Donald J. Matthews, a.k.a. "The Don", (June 22, 1939 – June 14, 2017) was a head coach of several professional football teams, mostly in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He won 231 games in the CFL, the second highest win total by a head ...
's renowned blitzing defense, completing 22 of 32 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns.
National Football League (second stint)
New York Jets
After two years in Canada, Ray began to look south of the border. Former Eskimo Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 23 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Edmonto ...
, a legend in the NFL and CFL, advised Ray to stay in the CFL a little while longer to improve as a quarterback and receive a better shot at a starting job. But the lure of the league he had dreamed of in his youth proved too strong to keep Ray in Canada, and he signed with the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
.
In the 2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.
With New England as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005. Hurricanes forced the rescheduling o ...
, Ray dressed for six games with the Jets. When starter Chad Pennington
James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was select ...
went down briefly with a rotator cuff injury, backup Quincy Carter
LaVonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter (born October 13, 1977) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Georgia and for the National Football League teams Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets. Outside the NFL, he also was ...
came in and played well, relegating Ray to the bench. After the season concluded, Ray asked for his release by the Jets. Ray subsequently returned to the Eskimos.
Canadian Football League (second stint)
Edmonton Eskimos (second stint)
Ray's return was accompanied by controversy. He became the favourite to take the starting job in Edmonton, but, once again, the team was deep at quarterback in 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
. In addition to Ray, Maas remained in Edmonton. While Ray had been in the NFL, Maas had been the starter and had played superbly, becoming only the second Eskimo to pass for 5,000 yards in a single season.
Ray received the starting job out of training camp in 2005. Maas, despite frequent trade rumours, was once again made his backup. Jason Johnson remained on the roster as the third quarterback. Ray started the 2005 season strongly, leading the league in completions and yardage. He set a pro football record with 479 completions in 2005. However, towards the end of the year, Ray's play faltered, concluding in him not throwing a touchdown in the season's last four games.
In the playoffs, Ray was benched twice more, both in the West Semi-Final against Calgary and the West Final against British Columbia, and both times Maas came on the field, threw very well, and recorded the winning points. Head coach Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia (born May 26, 1967) is the head coach and general manager of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was previously head coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins football team. He is also the former ...
, however, promised Ray the start in the 93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The ...
, perhaps because of rumours that a trade of Maas to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
had already been arranged. This time, however, Ray seized the opportunity presented to him, throwing for 359 yards and two touchdowns while completing 35 of 45 passes. The Eskimos defeated their old foes the Montréal Alouettes in a thrilling shootout victory, and Ray was named most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of the Grey Cup.
In 2005, with Ray leading the Eskimos again, the Eskimos and Alouettes met in the Grey Cup game for the third time in four years. Once again, the Eskimos were victorious in the rubber match, winning in overtime, 38–35, after an ill-advised move by the Montreal quarterback, Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo (born August 23, 1972) is the quarterbacks coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. He was professional football's all-time passing yards ...
took a penalty by throwing the ball twice on the same play, and then getting sacked by Charles Alston
Charles Henry Alston (November 28, 1907 – April 27, 1977) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist and teacher who lived and worked in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Alston was active in the Harlem Renaissance; Als ...
. This decision put Montreal in a 3rd and 30 situation, and handed Edmonton their 13th Grey Cup Championship. Ray was named Grey Cup MVP for his performance.
In 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Ray started for the Eskimos for every single game of the season, led the league in passing with exactly 5,000 yards, and was near the top in completion percentage at 65.7%, 21 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 89.8.
On September 14, 2007, in a win against the Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
, Ray surpassed CFL and NFL hall-of-famer Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 23 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Edmonto ...
to capture the Eskimos' all-time record for career passing yards. On September 28, 2007, he suffered a separated shoulder at the hands of Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
safety Willie Pile, ending his season. Without Ray, the Eskimos lost their remaining five games and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
In 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Ray completed 422 of 608 pass attempts (69.8% completion) for a league-leading, career-best, and single-season Eskimo record 5,661 yards. Ray threw for 26 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a 101.8 quarterback rating. Ray also scrambled for 258 yards and 5 touchdowns. One of his best games of the season came in the final week of the season vs. the Alouettes when Ray broke the record for highest completion percentage in a single game (with a minimum of 20 passing attempts) when he went 23 of 25 for 92.0% for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns in only 3 quarters of play. He led the Esks to a win in the crossover playoff game in Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
, but the team lost in the East finals to Montreal. The 2008 Eskimos were the first team to ever win a crossover game.
In 2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, Ray completed 401 of 596 pass attempts (67.3% completion) for a league leading 4,916 yards, 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a 96.4 quarterback rating. Ray scrambled for 206 yards and 6 touchdowns. In a game versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
, Ray completed 20 consecutive passes before receiver Jamaica Rector
Jamaica Rector (born August 10, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He also was a member of the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. He pl ...
dropped a pass, ending the streak. This remarkable performance left Ray 2nd all time behind teammate Jason Maas
Jason Maas (born November 19, 1975) is the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and a former Canadian football quarterback in the CFL. He is best known for his playing career with the Edmonton Eskimos where h ...
(who completed 22 straight passes on July 30, 2004), in the CFL record books for most consecutive pass completions in a single game.
In 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, Ray completed 288 of 447 pass attempts (64.4% completion) for 3,565 yards, 11 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for an 82.3 quarterback rating. Additionally, Ray scrambled for 302 yards and three touchdowns. In Game 15, Ray had a career rushing performance, compiling 135 yards on 12 rushes and a touchdown. He started 16 of the 18 games. Statistically, it was the worst year of his career.
In 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, Ray completed 343 of 526 pass attempts (65.2% completion) for 4,954 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 99.3 quarterback rating. Additionally, Ray scrambled for 258 yards and 1 touchdown. Ricky Ray had a bounce back season after struggling in 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
. His solid play earned him Offensive Player of the month for the month of September. Ray lead the Eskimos to a record of 11–7, qualifying for the Playoffs.
Toronto Argonauts
Ray was traded to the Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
on December 12, 2011, for quarterback Steven Jyles
Steven Jyles (born September 25, 1982) is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League in 2006. He played college football for Louisiana–M ...
, placekicker Grant Shaw
Grant Shaw (born August 3, 1984) is a professional Canadian football placekicker and punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted eleventh overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2010 CFL Draft and signed with the team on May 22, 2010. H ...
, and a 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
first round draft pick. Ray went on to win the 100th Grey Cup as the Argonauts' starting quarterback. On May 31, 2013 the Argos extended Ray's contract through the 2015 CFL season.
In 2012, Ray completed 321 of 468 pass attempts (68.6% completion) for 4,059 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 99.8 quarterback rating. Rays 68.59% completion rate was a new team record breaking the previous mark of 67.25% set by Kerwin Bell
Kerwin Douglas Bell (born June 15, 1965) is an American football coach and former player who has been the head coach of the Western Carolina Catamounts football team since 2021. Bell was born in the rural North Central Florida town of Live Oak ...
in 1998. Ray injured his knee in the third quarter of a Week 4 win against the Blue Bombers. He missed the Week 5 game and then returned to the starting lineup in Week 7, following a bye in Week 6. Ray was averaging over 300 yards passing per game compiling a total of 3,341 yards in his first 11 games before suffering a knee injury in the 1st quarter of a game against Montreal. Ray would return for the final two games of the season completing 20 of 33 passes for 383 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions vs Winnipeg and 24 of 30 passes for 305 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interceptions against Saskatchewan, earning offensive player of the week honors for the latter performance and helping the Argo clinch a playoff spot.
In the division semi-final Ray completed 23 of 30 passes for 239 yards, 2 touchdowns no interceptions and a rushing touchdown as they defeated Edmonton 42–26. In the process Ray helped the team set a new CFL playoff record for the most points in a single quarter with 31. In the East final, Ray completed 28 of 37 passes for 399 yards 1 touchdowns and no interceptions as the team beat Montreal on the road 27–20 in advancing to the finals. The Argos would ultimately emerge victorious in the 100th Grey Cup held at home, beating Calgary 35–22. Ray would finish the game 18 for 30 for 231 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The victory was Rays 3rd Grey Cup, matching Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo (born August 23, 1972) is the quarterbacks coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. He was professional football's all-time passing yards ...
for the most Grey Cup wins by the current generation of veteran quarterbacks.
In the 2013, Ray had a phenomenal year setting multiple CFL, pro football and team records, despite suffering a shoulder injury in the first quarter of a game against Calgary in Week 7 which forced him to sit out six games. Ray would return before the end of the season helping the Argos clinch first in the east before sitting out the final game of the season.
Ray completed 234 of 303 for 2,878 yards in 10 games and had a 77.23% completion percentage which broke the previous CFL and pro football single season record of 73.98% set by Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson (born January 11, 1973) is a Canadian football head coach with the Calgary Stampeders and former professional player with the Stampeders and the BC Lions where he won the 2006 Grey Cup and was named the game's MVP. Dickenson als ...
in 2005 and his own Argo record of 68.59% set last year. Ray finished with 21 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions, resulting in a 10.5 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio, breaking the single season CFL record of 6 to 1 set by Dave Dickenson in 2000. Ray also set the CFL record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted in a single season with a 0.66% breaking the previous CFL record of 1.09% set by Anthony Calvillo in 2009. Ray had a streak of 222 consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception to begin the year, going back to the previous year the streak was 247 pass attempts, before throwing his first interception on his last pass of a game in Week 16 against Hamilton. This figure is possibly a CFL record as the Argo team itself set a league record for most consecutive passes without an interception by a team. Ray finished the year with a record passer efficiency rating of 126.37, surpassing the previous pro football record of 122.46 set by Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
in 2011 and the CFL record of 118.77 set by Dave Dickenson in 2005. On July 19, 2013, Ray completed 19 of 20 passes against Winnipeg setting a new single game CFL and pro football completion percentage record of 95.0%, beating the previous record of 94.74% set by Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
in 2012, his own CFL record of 92.0% set in 2008 and the Argos team record of 87.1% set by Condredge Holloway
Condredge Holloway Jr. (born January 25, 1954) is a former quarterback for the University of Tennessee and later in the Canadian Football League. Holloway was one of the first African-American quarterbacks to receive national exposure. His nickna ...
in 1985. In the same game, he tied the Argo record for most consecutive pass completions held by Mike Rae
Michael John Rae (born July 26, 1951) is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League.
Early life
Rae attended and played high school football at Lakewood High School.
College ...
with 17. Only to surpass that mark in his final game of the season against Winnipeg. Ray set a new team record with 21 consecutive pass completions, the second longest such streak in CFL history, falling one shy of the record of 22 held by Jason Maas. In the same game Ray also set a new personal high for passing yards with 505. It was the first time in his career that he had passed for over 500 yards and the third highest single game total in Argos history. Ray did however break a 53-year-old Argo record for most completions in a single game with 39 besting the previous record of 38 set by Tobin Rote
Tobin Cornelius Rote (January 18, 1928 – June 27, 2000) was an American football player who played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football Le ...
in 1960. It was also the 9th time in his career and 2nd time in the year that he had passed for over 400 yards in a game. In addition to the numerous records Ray set, he was named offensive player of the month for September and also named offensive player of week three times. In the first game of the season against Hamilton, Ray complete 24 of 34 passes for 368 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions, earning him offensive player of the week honors. Ray would earn his second offensive player of the week honors after completed 30 of 35 passes for 413 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions against Edmonton in game 6. And lastly for his aforementioned performance against Winnipeg, where he completed 39 of 45 passes for 505 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Ricky Ray played in all but 1 of the 18 regular season games during the 2014 CFL season, however the Argos were unable to qualify for the postseason, finishing with a record of 8–10. Ray had one of his highest volume seasons as a passing quarterback in his career during the 2014 campaign. His 425 pass completions was the second highest of his career, trailing only his 2003 season with the Eskimos when he completed 479 passes. Ray attempted 620 passes over the course of the season, which was the 4th most attempts in his career, and the most since 2008. He racked up a league-leading 4,595 passing yards, which his most yards in a season since 2009.
In November 2014, following the conclusion of the Argos season, Ray had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder and a small tear in his right rotator cuff. The recovery time for the surgery was estimated to be around six months, which would allow Ray to return action in time for CFL training camp in the spring of 2015. However, Ray's recovery went slower than expected: As a result, the Argos placed Ray on the six-game injured list during the preseason. Ray missed the first 16 games of the 2015 CFL season, making his first start of the season in Week 19 against the BC Lions. At the time of his return, the Argos were 8–8, having clinched a playoff berth, they were fighting for a home playoff game (which they lost when they were defeated by the Lions). Ray played in the final regular season game and also the Eastern Semi-Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
. In the playoff game Ray completed 22 of 34 pass attempts for 220 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception; however Justin Medlock
Justin Charles Medlock (born October 23, 1983) is an American professional football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college foo ...
kicked a 47-yard field goal with no time on the clock to eliminate the Argos, thus ending their season. On December 3, 2015, Ray and the Argos agreed on a contract extension; preventing him from becoming a free-agent in February 2015. Entering the 2016 season Ray was finally 100% healed from his shoulder injury which had plagued him since November 2014. Ray started the first five games of the season before sustaining a knee injury as defensive lineman Vaughn Martin
Vaughn Martin (born April 18, 1986) is a Jamaican-born Canadian former American football defensive tackle. He was most recently a member of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in ...
rolled up into him in the third quarter. Following the game Ricky Ray was diagnosed with an sprained MCL, and was expected to miss between three and six weeks. Ray missed three games over the following five weeks before returning to play in the Labour Day weekend games against the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Following their Labour Day game against the Tiger-Cats, reports surfaced suggesting Ray would miss the remainder of the 2016 CFL season with a punctured lung. The following day, it was announced that Ray would miss between four and six weeks with a partially deflated lung. This was Ray's second significant injury in 2016 and he has only played one full season since 2011. After missing six weeks recovering from a partially deflated lung Ray returned to the starting lineup in Week 18 of the regular season. However, he was unable to best the league-leading Stampeders and as a result the Argos were eliminated from playoff contention, falling to a record of 5–12.
On February 28, 2017, at his introductory press conference, newly appointed head coach Marc Trestman
Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American football and Canadian football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coach ...
declared Ray the Argos starting quarterback for the 2017 season: Despite Ray having only started 12 games over the previous two seasons. In the opening game of the season, Ray threw for a career-high 506 yards in a 32-15 win over the rival Tiger-Cats. On July 29, 2017, Ray surpassed Condredge Holloway to become the franchise leader in passing yards. Holloway threw for 16,616 yards between 1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
and 1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
. On August 19, 2017, Ray became the Argonauts' all-time passing touchdown leader with his 99th touchdown pass, surpassing Holloway's 98. In that same game, he threw for his 100th touchdown pass as an Argonaut, becoming the first player in CFL history to throw at least 100 touchdown passes for two franchises. On October 21, 2017, Ray reached the 60,000 career passing-yard mark, becoming just the fourth player in CFL history to accomplish the milestone. In that same game, he also hit 5,000 passing yards for the season, joining Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is an American former football quarterback whose professional career spanned 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CF ...
and Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo (born August 23, 1972) is the quarterbacks coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. He was professional football's all-time passing yards ...
as the only players to pass for 5,000 yards at least four times in their careers. That game also marked the 12th time he eclipsed the 300-yard mark that season, which is an Argonauts record. The Argonauts finished the season 1st in the East with a 9-9 record, the only .500 team in the division. For his performance, Ray finished as runner-up to Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. He would go on and win his fourth Grey Cup against the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup
The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario.
In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...
game. One day after the Argos Grey Cup parade, Ray conveyed to reporters that he was "seriously considering retirement". Ray, 38 years of age, who was a pending free agent for the 2018 season, said there was no timetable for a decision. On February 2, 2018 Ray and the Argos agreed to a one-year contract extension.
Ray was carted off the field in the second half of the Argos Week 2 loss to the Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...
after being awkwardly tackled between a pair of Stampeder defensive linemen. Ray was hospitalized, and the following day the team confirmed that Ray did indeed have feeling in all of his extremities. Given his age (38), and the severity of the injury, Ray's future as a quarterback was placed in doubt. Only a couple days later team doctors advised Ray to not play again in 2018. On September 24, 2018 Head Coach Marc Trestman confirmed that Ray would not return to the Argos for the 2018 season. In early November 2018 Ray was still considering his options, leaving the door open for a possible return in 2019. By early March Ray had not informed the Argos of his intentions for the 2019 season, and still needed to be cleared by doctors before returning to the field. General manager Jim Popp
James Thomas Popp (born December 21, 1964) is an American sports executive and coach currently working for the United States Football League (USFL) as the Director of Player Administration. He was previously a running back coach and assistant he ...
hinted that if Ray were to return to the Argos it would be as a backup quarterback, possibly transitioning to a coaching role in the future. On May 8, 2019, Ray held a press conference to officially announce his retirement.
Ray was announced as a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...
2022 class on June 21, 2022.
CFL statistics
See also
* List of Canadian Football League records (individual)
This is a list of Canadian Football League regular season records that are effective as of the end of the 2022 CFL season.
''Italics indicate an active player.''
Games
Most Games
*408 - Lui Passaglia
*394 - Bob Cameron
*370 - Damon Allen
*340 ...
References
External links
Toronto Argonauts bio
*
*Lawrence, Thoma
Ray's success a valuable lesson in heart: Shasta High and Shasta College QB has had incredible Canadian career
The Redding Searchlight, November 30, 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Ricky
1979 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
American players of Canadian football
Canadian football quarterbacks
Edmonton Elks players
Fresno Frenzy players
New York Jets players
People from Happy Camp, California
Players of American football from California
Sacramento State Hornets football players
San Francisco 49ers players
Shasta Knights football players
Toronto Argonauts players