In 2012, after a four-year career at Notre Dame that wound up being a little short on highlights, running back Jonas Gray found himself drawing the attention of the NFL. Gray wasn't sure where he'd land in that year's NFL Draft, but expectations were somewhere between the second and fourth rounds, dictated ultimately by how he ran during the pre-draft process at venues like the NFL's rookie scouting combine and Notre Dame's Pro Day.
Unfortunately, there would be no 40s, no simulated routes out into the flat in shorts and a T-shirt for Gray.
A torn ACL in November of his senior season derailed the Michigan-born Gray's professional hopes for a time.
But it wouldn't last.
Gray underwent surgery in December, and thanks to some shrewd maneuvering by his agent, landed with the Miami Dolphins as a priority free agent with something close to, but not quite, a guarantee that he'd be on the roster for the entire season, no matter what.
"I was looking for an opportunity," Gray tells Headlines and Global News. "That's all I needed, to be on somebody's roster, to have a chance to be a part of any NFL organization."
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At this point in his career, Gray doesn't worry about gameplans. He doesn't worry about where the ball is likely headed once Sunday rolls around, what matchups the Jaguars coaches think are ripe for exploitation. He knows his role, and he relishes it, game to game and, if he can make it work, year to year.
"I like to try and exert my toughness and will on the opponent in pass protection," Gray says, gritting his teeth as if preparing to absorb the blow of an attacking defender. "And they know that I'm that all-around running back. The defenders know that."
For NFL running backs, there may be no greater proving ground than pass blocking. It's not glamorous. In fact, it's downright dangerous. Massive, downhill linebackers, safeties on a delayed blitz, corners with blood on their tongues and visions of grandeur in their eyes - a running back must be fearless, he must be selfless, he must be ready and willing when these players come marauding into the backfield.
You want to know how to make it in the NFL as an unheralded running back? Sure, there may be dazzling displays of nimbleness, of eye-popping, jaw-dropping athleticism, glory to be covered in and numbers to be racked up, but at the end of the day your worth to your team and your franchise is measured not just in yards and touchdowns, but in the sacrifices you're willing to make to keep the machine rolling, to keep yourself on the field.
