Finding a Way: Erik Gray’s Journey from Amarillo to All-American
9/25/2026 4:03:00 PM | Football
Senior endures to become respected leader, driving force of Jacks' success
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Before Erik Gray ever snapped a ball at Stephen F. Austin, he was the kid in Amarillo who couldn't wait to trade flag football for tackle. His earliest memory of the game is a rule that made him laugh years later: "I was always 'too big' to run the ball, so the league did not let me run the ball." That didn't stop him from falling in love with football, or from finding ways to stand out.
At Amarillo High, Gray played on both sides of the line and once turned a hook-and-lateral into a 73-yard touchdown. More important than the highlight was the environment that shaped him. "I love Amarillo," he said. "It has taught me everything about football. Being able to play the game you love with the friends you grew up with was the best part. Amarillo isn't really that big compared to these other schools, so we really had to put our head down and work with what we had. My head coach Chad Dunham has a standard and it was implemented."
That mindset—work with what you have, then make it more—would become the throughline of his life and career.
FINDING A WAY
If Amarillo taught Gray how to work, his mother taught him how to endure. "Finding a way," he said, when asked what she gave him. "My mom always found a way to get something done. It didn't matter what the situation was, my mom always found a way. So, approaching football, I always found a way to do what I needed to do to be successful."
Competition was the family language. "Don't even get me started on how competitive the Gray household is," he said, laughing. "It is insane how much we compete. During the holidays we always get together as a family and play games—still to this day my grandmother plays with us and competes. That's how competitive we are." From that environment, he carried forward quickness, toughness, and the belief that you never back down from a challenge.
REPRESENTING HOME
As a hometown recruit who later received the 2025 Blair Cherry Memorial Award, given annually since 1969 to honor the most outstanding former high school athlete from the Texas Panhandle who are shining at the college football level, Gray doesn't hesitate when asked what he thinks of when he represents Amarillo at SFA. "The first thing that comes to mind is Amarillo High and the people back home who helped me get to where I am today," he said. "Being a hometown recruit means a lot because I know I'm representing more than just myself every time I step on the field. Winning the Blair Cherry Memorial Award made that even more meaningful because it represents the tradition of football in Amarillo and the players who came before me."
He added, "Amarillo will always be home, so I take a lot of pride in being able to represent my hometown while playing at SFA. I want the coaches, teammates, family, and people who supported me growing up to be proud of the way I represent where I came from."
FROM REDSHIRT TO ALL-AMERICAN
Gray's college path was anything but linear. He redshirted at Texas Tech, transferred to SFA, then waited for his chance while battling injuries and learning a new position. The hardest part, he said, was the waiting. "It would definitely have to be that transition from high school to college," he said. "In high school you go from playing both sides to in college you're not playing at all. So, I think not being able to play in two years even after I transferred—I was down on myself, but I found a way like we talked about earlier."
During Southland Conference Media Days, where Gray represented the Jacks this past summer, head coach Colby Carthel noted Gray's development and determination to "get on the field." "He was undersized. He's a great kid, fun to coach, ton of enthusiasm and a great leader," remarked Carthel. "But two years ago, we moved him over and tried practicing him at defensive end just to see if we could get him on the field. He was too light, but he packed on 10-15 pounds, we got him zeroed in at center and he's just taken off from there."
When offensive line coach Garrett Graf arrived, everything changed. "Honestly, everything about center he has taught me," Gray said, grinning. "I have never played center until Coach Graf came to SFA and it's changed my life. The main thing he has taught [me] was honestly growing up and being mature. I had to make the decision to mature in the game and grow."
Maturity and growth were never more evident than last fall when Gray, the Southland Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year, became a consensus FCS All-American which led to plenty of preseason honors this fall including being named by the NCAA as one of 49 players to watch in the 49th season of FCS football.
LEARNING THE POSITION
Gray had played guard, tackle, and defensive line in high school, but center was new territory. "Over time Coach Graf taught me how to ID the front, if it was a four-man or three-man front," he said. "It's honestly easy, but don't get me wrong—my first couple months at center, I didn't know what call I was calling because I was so confused. So, I had to get [in] my playbook a lot more, and there are teams out there that run some crazy defenses. Experience plays a big part of that too because you see a lot of defensive fronts."
The work paid off. SFA allowed the fewest sacks per game in the Southland last season, a testament to the line's cohesion. "We come every meeting ready to be the best versions of ourselves," he said. "We strive to be the most improved team in the nation. We believe in what we built as a team and as a unit. When we are watching film, it can be a good meeting depending on how that day went. For the most part our meetings are fun—we laugh, joke around—but when it's time to be serious then we know when to lock in."
During fall camp, Graf pointed to Gray's on-field leadership as where he has seen the once-undersized lineman make a greatest impact on the position group. "He is an extension of me. Half of the time I'm running to go address an issue and he's beaten me to it. Those are the things that people don't see that will show up bigger than his play. What he's done from a leadership perspective has really changed us."
LEADING THE LINE
Gray's teammates voted him a single-digit honoree and captain for two consecutive seasons. The reason, he said, is simple: "How much I care for these guys. I want the absolute best for everyone in that room. I try and make these guys strive to be the best player ever. The whole room makes me better each day—they make me strive to be the best version of myself every day. Without these guys around me, I wouldn't be the player I am today."
Looking ahead in his final season, he hopes his family sees the growth they helped make possible. "I want my family to not only look at me as the man that I grew to be in football, but the man I have grown to be off the field," he said. "My family's been a part of my journey every single day of my life. I hope they see someone who never gave up and brought everything that was taught to life."
And for the young linemen back in Amarillo? "I want them to know that no mountain is [too] high to climb. You don't have to go to a big school or [even a] small school to accomplish your dreams. Keep working, keep grinding, never give up."
At Amarillo High, Gray played on both sides of the line and once turned a hook-and-lateral into a 73-yard touchdown. More important than the highlight was the environment that shaped him. "I love Amarillo," he said. "It has taught me everything about football. Being able to play the game you love with the friends you grew up with was the best part. Amarillo isn't really that big compared to these other schools, so we really had to put our head down and work with what we had. My head coach Chad Dunham has a standard and it was implemented."
That mindset—work with what you have, then make it more—would become the throughline of his life and career.
FINDING A WAY
If Amarillo taught Gray how to work, his mother taught him how to endure. "Finding a way," he said, when asked what she gave him. "My mom always found a way to get something done. It didn't matter what the situation was, my mom always found a way. So, approaching football, I always found a way to do what I needed to do to be successful."
Competition was the family language. "Don't even get me started on how competitive the Gray household is," he said, laughing. "It is insane how much we compete. During the holidays we always get together as a family and play games—still to this day my grandmother plays with us and competes. That's how competitive we are." From that environment, he carried forward quickness, toughness, and the belief that you never back down from a challenge.
REPRESENTING HOME
As a hometown recruit who later received the 2025 Blair Cherry Memorial Award, given annually since 1969 to honor the most outstanding former high school athlete from the Texas Panhandle who are shining at the college football level, Gray doesn't hesitate when asked what he thinks of when he represents Amarillo at SFA. "The first thing that comes to mind is Amarillo High and the people back home who helped me get to where I am today," he said. "Being a hometown recruit means a lot because I know I'm representing more than just myself every time I step on the field. Winning the Blair Cherry Memorial Award made that even more meaningful because it represents the tradition of football in Amarillo and the players who came before me."
He added, "Amarillo will always be home, so I take a lot of pride in being able to represent my hometown while playing at SFA. I want the coaches, teammates, family, and people who supported me growing up to be proud of the way I represent where I came from."
FROM REDSHIRT TO ALL-AMERICAN
Gray's college path was anything but linear. He redshirted at Texas Tech, transferred to SFA, then waited for his chance while battling injuries and learning a new position. The hardest part, he said, was the waiting. "It would definitely have to be that transition from high school to college," he said. "In high school you go from playing both sides to in college you're not playing at all. So, I think not being able to play in two years even after I transferred—I was down on myself, but I found a way like we talked about earlier."
During Southland Conference Media Days, where Gray represented the Jacks this past summer, head coach Colby Carthel noted Gray's development and determination to "get on the field." "He was undersized. He's a great kid, fun to coach, ton of enthusiasm and a great leader," remarked Carthel. "But two years ago, we moved him over and tried practicing him at defensive end just to see if we could get him on the field. He was too light, but he packed on 10-15 pounds, we got him zeroed in at center and he's just taken off from there."
When offensive line coach Garrett Graf arrived, everything changed. "Honestly, everything about center he has taught me," Gray said, grinning. "I have never played center until Coach Graf came to SFA and it's changed my life. The main thing he has taught [me] was honestly growing up and being mature. I had to make the decision to mature in the game and grow."
Maturity and growth were never more evident than last fall when Gray, the Southland Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year, became a consensus FCS All-American which led to plenty of preseason honors this fall including being named by the NCAA as one of 49 players to watch in the 49th season of FCS football.
LEARNING THE POSITION
Gray had played guard, tackle, and defensive line in high school, but center was new territory. "Over time Coach Graf taught me how to ID the front, if it was a four-man or three-man front," he said. "It's honestly easy, but don't get me wrong—my first couple months at center, I didn't know what call I was calling because I was so confused. So, I had to get [in] my playbook a lot more, and there are teams out there that run some crazy defenses. Experience plays a big part of that too because you see a lot of defensive fronts."
The work paid off. SFA allowed the fewest sacks per game in the Southland last season, a testament to the line's cohesion. "We come every meeting ready to be the best versions of ourselves," he said. "We strive to be the most improved team in the nation. We believe in what we built as a team and as a unit. When we are watching film, it can be a good meeting depending on how that day went. For the most part our meetings are fun—we laugh, joke around—but when it's time to be serious then we know when to lock in."
During fall camp, Graf pointed to Gray's on-field leadership as where he has seen the once-undersized lineman make a greatest impact on the position group. "He is an extension of me. Half of the time I'm running to go address an issue and he's beaten me to it. Those are the things that people don't see that will show up bigger than his play. What he's done from a leadership perspective has really changed us."
LEADING THE LINE
Gray's teammates voted him a single-digit honoree and captain for two consecutive seasons. The reason, he said, is simple: "How much I care for these guys. I want the absolute best for everyone in that room. I try and make these guys strive to be the best player ever. The whole room makes me better each day—they make me strive to be the best version of myself every day. Without these guys around me, I wouldn't be the player I am today."
Looking ahead in his final season, he hopes his family sees the growth they helped make possible. "I want my family to not only look at me as the man that I grew to be in football, but the man I have grown to be off the field," he said. "My family's been a part of my journey every single day of my life. I hope they see someone who never gave up and brought everything that was taught to life."
And for the young linemen back in Amarillo? "I want them to know that no mountain is [too] high to climb. You don't have to go to a big school or [even a] small school to accomplish your dreams. Keep working, keep grinding, never give up."
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