Alex Gray (rugby union)
| No. 89 Atlanta Falcons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | May 1, 1991 | ||
| Place of birth: | Bishop Auckland, England | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||
| Weight: | 231 lb (105 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| Undrafted: | 2017 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
| Roster status: | Active | ||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Alex Gray (born 1 May 1991) is a professional American football tight end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) and a former rugby union player for England Sevens, Newcastle Falcons, London Irish, and Yorkshire Carnegie.
Rugby Union career
| Date of birth | 1 May 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Bishop Auckland, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Barnard Castle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Club career
Gray was a product of Newcastle Falcons Academy and signed a two-year first team contract at the age of just 17. His primary position is number eight, but he can also play openside flanker. It was announced that the back-rower joined London Irish on 8 Aug 2011.
After finishing the England Sevens commitment in the summer of 2016, Gray signed for Yorkshire Carnegie for 2016/17 season.[2]
International career
The former Barnard Castle School Schoolboy has captained England to Grand Slams at both Under-16s and 18s levels, making his Under-18s debut three years young when they toured Australia in 2007. He then skippered the Under-18s through a clean sweep in the 2008 Home Nations tournament, before leading them to six wins from six on their summer tour to Argentina. 2009 saw more success at age group level as he led England 18s again.
Gray made his England Sevens debut in 2013. Subsequently, he was named as 2015 RPA Sevens Player of the Year.
In May 2016, Gray was included in extended Great Britain Sevens squad in preparation for the Rio Olympics.[3]
NFL career
Gray signed with National Football League club Atlanta Falcons on 25 May 2017, leaving rugby to pursue a career in American football.[4] He was signed as a practice squad player after attending the NFL Combine and tryouts in Florida through the NFL's International Player Pathway program. Under the rules governing this scheme, teams in the NFC South division receive one extra practice squad position specifically for an international player, but these players cannot be activated during the season following their signing.[5]
References
- ↑ "Ariva Premiership Rugby - Newcastle Falcons". web page. Premier Rugby. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
- ↑ http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/yorkshire-carnegie/three-new-signings-for-yorkshire-carnegie-1-7884226
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36280780
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2017/05/25/former-england-sevens-star-alex-gray-swaps-rugby-american-football/
- ↑ Hamilton, Tom (25 May 2017). "England sevens star Alex Gray signs for Atlanta Falcons practice squad". ESPN (UK). Retrieved 27 May 2017.