Giants Country

Eric Gray Praises Former NFL Running Back Turned Coach for Lessons Learned

The Giants' fifth-round draft pick was tutored by former NFL running back DeMarco Murray in his final two seasons of college at Oklahoma. Here's what he learned.

Patricia Traina

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New York Giants running back Eric Gray began his college career at the University of Tennessee, where he had some early success.

But it wasn’t until he transferred to the University of Oklahoma, where he was paired with former NFL running back DeMarco Murray, now the Sooners' running backs coach, that Gray saw things start to come together.

“DeMarco was a big important piece for me and kind of the reason I went to Oklahoma,” Gray said Saturday after the Giants wrapped up their on-field work at their rookie minicamp.

“I feel like him playing the game at a high level; he could teach me a lot about being a pro in this league, what it takes to be a pro, what I need to do to get better to get to this level.”

Murray, who played for the Cowboys, Eagles, and Titans over seven years, taught his young protégé what it takes to be a pro.

“Everybody has something going on, and you have to be on your P's and Q's every single day,” Gray said, adding that he thought he could become an explosive back under Murray’s guidance.

His instincts proved correct. Last season Gray rushed for 1,366 yards, his first such 1,000-yard season. He also recorded 11 rushing touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

When it was all said and done, Gray, in 33 more carries with the Sooners than he had with the Vols, finished with 467 more rushing yards and five more rushing touchdowns.

He also totaled 556 more total scrimmage yards.

But perhaps the biggest turning point for the young rookie is he faced and successfully handled adversity after he decided to transfer.

"Yeah, that year was definitely adversity for me, but I learned a lot in that time," he said. "I grew mentally, I grew spiritually in that time, learning that you've just got to keep working, keep going, and it will pay off one day for you.

"My dad had a saying during that time that was like, ‘You can't keep a good man down.’ I knew if I kept working and going hard, I would ultimately be where I am."

Once the dust settled for GRay, he was determined to accomplish one thing.

"I would think my mindset going into that year saying I wanted this to be my last year, I wanted to go out there and give my all and put it all together and have that season that I wanted to have," he said.

"The previous year, I learned a lot in that time, and I knew coming to the next year that if I just stick to my Q's, stick to my coaches, stay close to my teammates, it would happen for me."

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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