Ricky Ray

College career

Ray began his college football career at Shasta College in 1997, earning first-team All-American honors and state player of the year in 1998. He set school records, including 199 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. He was inducted into the Shasta County Sports Hall Of Fame in 2014. Ray then played at Sacramento State University, where in 1999 he completed 179 of 291 passes for 2,422 yards and 20 touchdowns. The following year he completed 168 of 270 passes for 13 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. He remains in the top ten for several Sacramento State career passing records.

Professional career

After going undrafted by the NFL, Ray attended training camp with the San Francisco 49ers but dressed for only one preseason game. He worked as a Frito-Lay delivery driver during that time, earning the nickname 'Frito Ray.' His professional debut came with the Fresno Frenzy of the af2, where he played seven games under former CFL quarterback Rick Worman, completing 116 passes for 1,296 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Worman helped arrange a tryout with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Ray made the Eskimos in 2002 as the third-string quarterback behind starter Jason Maas. After Maas was injured in a Week Four game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Ray made his debut in relief and his first start the following week against the BC Lions, throwing four touchdowns. He finished the season with 2,991 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, posting a league-best 101.3 quarterback rating. Ray led the Eskimos to the 90th Grey Cup, where he threw for 324 yards but lost to the Montréal Alouettes 26–16; a failed two-point conversion late in the game forced an onside kick attempt that Montréal returned for a touchdown.

He was named Offensive Player of the Week and Month but was ineligible for Offensive Rookie of the Year due to his brief NFL stint. In 2003, Maas returned but sustained a back injury requiring surgery, and Ray remained the starter.