Juantavius “J.T.” Gray has found a home in the National Football League.
Gray, a 2014 Clarksdale High School graduate, played the past four seasons with Mississippi State at the linebacker position the first three years and defensive back as a senior.
Following Saturday’s NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints signed Gray to a rookie free agent contract and he will have a chance to be on the team for the 2018 regular season.
“It’s a blessing,” said Gray’s mother, Michelle, who was speaking on behalf of the family.
“We’re thankful. We’re very proud of him for him to get the opportunity to live out his dream ever since he was playing peewee league football. He was basically a go-getter. He’s a hard worker. He’s a very respectful young man. I never had any problems out of him. On behalf of the family, we’re very proud of him and I support him 100 percent.”
Clarksdale coach Henry Johnson’s first season with the Wildcats was Gray’s senior year. Gray was a Wildcat his sophomore year, but was in Arizona as a junior and returned home for his senior season.
“When I first took the job here, he was living in Arizona,” Johnson said. “I asked him if he would come back. He was excited about coming back. He was a two-way player. He was a tremendous player for us. He was instrumental in us making the semifinals of the North. That was our best season since I’ve been here.”
Gray led the 2013 Wildcats in interceptions, all-purpose yards, rushing yards, kick return yards and tackles and played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game. The Wildcats won a home playoff game that year to advance to the 5A state semifinals and Johnson knew Gray was NFL bound from the first day he saw him.
“He was just a tremendous player,” Johnson said. “He was very deserving of playing in the NFL. We knew he was an NFL type. It didn’t surprise me when I looked across the screen and the New Orleans Saints picked him up because he definitely had the potential to be in the NFL.”
Gray did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, but he had a successful pro day at Mississippi State on March 28 where the Saints took notice.
Gray leaped 33.5 inches in the vertical jump at pro day and his furthest jump on the broad jump was 10 feet, 3 inches. His vertical jump would have ranked No. 19 and the broad jump would have been No. 8 had he attended the NFL combine. He bench pressed 225 pounds doing 19 reps and that would have ranked sixth at the NFL combine.
Following pro day, Saints representatives told Gray they saw potential in him at special teams and nickelback, which were positions he played in college.
Gray, who will be graduating this coming fall with a degree in industrial technology, did not attend the combine to focus on his school work.
“That’s been his lifelong dream, playing football, along with getting his education,” Michelle said. “His academics definitely were on point. It was still a huge sacrifice. He made it. It’s just the beginning of a new chapter. We’ll see where it goes from there, but I know he’s an awesome young man and he’s going to live up to what he does.”
Gray, listed at 6 feet tall and 202 pounds, finished his Bulldogs career with 210 tackles, 14½ tackles for losses, four sacks, eight pass breakups and one interception.
His high school teammates were not surprised by his success.
Jordan Harris, a 2012 Clarksdale High School graduate, was a linebacker on the 2012 Copiah-Lincoln Community College state championship team. Harris, who went on to finish his college football career at Iowa State and Louisiana Tech University, saw Gray and Bulldogs center Elgton Jenkins were beyond their years as underclassmen at Clarksdale.
Jenkins, a 2014 Clarksdale High School graduate, was a redshirt his first year and plays center on the offensive line.
“I saw a lot of potential in him,” Harris said reflecting on when he and Gray were both Wildcats. “That’s one of the reasons I had to treat him like a little brother, but even when he was young he was on some of the seniors’ level — he and Elgton Jenkins.
“J.T. is a hard worker who will do whatever to help his team succeed. He’s going to make the necessary sacrifices that will better him as a professional. He will do great in New Orleans.”
Malcolm Curry, a 2016 Clarksdale High School graduate, saw Gray as a leader. Gray was a senior during Curry’s sophomore year when the Wildcats used several running backs.
In addition to being in the secondary on defense, Gray was the No. 1 running back, but Curry also played the position. Curry recently finished his sophomore season at Mississippi Delta Community College and is now a running back for Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo. He still has positive memories of Gray coming back to play for Clarksdale his senior year after spending his junior season in Arizona.
“He was a great teammate,” Curry said. “He was always there when you needed him and always accountable. We knew if he didn’t play well it was going to be a rough night. Most importantly, he was a leader. Everyone saw potential in him. We were eager to get him back in Clarksdale when he moved back from Arizona. He was definitely most definitely the man that year.”
The Wildcats advanced to the 5A state semifinals.
Gray’s family will be in New Orleans to cheer him on as much as possible.
“It’s not too far from home, so I definitely could be at all the games to support him,” Michelle said.
Michelle’s favorite team was the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that all changed when Gray signed with the Saints.
“I’m turning in my terrible towel for Who Dat nation now,” she said.
