As a pro football player, Terry Ray put together a solid career in the NFL and the Canadian Football League. He relies on that playing experience in helping the Redskins to assess and improve their talent base.
Entering his second offseason as pro scout with the Redskins, Ray helps evaluate talent in the NFL and other pro leagues--including the CFL--while also serving as an advance scout for upcoming opponents during the season.
Ray says the biggest challenge he faces in terms of making the transition from player to scout involves learning to be his own manager.
He notes: "When you play, things are planned and taken care of in order to keep you focused. As a scout, many times you're on your own and you have to be more cognizant of your time. You have to be your own planner in order to get things done in a timely manner."
After 13 seasons of playing football, Ray says he was attracted to the administrative side of the game.
"There are so many aspects to the world of football that make the game possible," he said. "I saw the challenge in scouting and the opportunity to get excited about football in a different way."
Ray, who played his college ball at Oklahoma, was a sixth-round selection of the Atlanta Falcons in 1992. As a defensive back, Ray went on to play for the New England Patriots for four seasons from 1993-96 and appeared in Super Bowl XXXI. That was the game in which QB Brett Favre and the Packers handed New England a 35-21 defeat on Jan. 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome.
During the course of his NFL career, Ray appeared in 73 games with 26 starts. He totaled 193 tackles and four interceptions.
After five seasons in the NFL, Ray continued his career in the CFL at linebacker and safety. During his six CFL seasons, Ray spent time with the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, wrapping up his CFL career in 2004.
Ray was named Edmonton's Most Outstanding Defensive Player three times, a West Division All-Star three times and a CFL All-Star twice.
Like Redskins players trying to get better with every practice session, Ray says his goal is to improve in his job every day.
"The excitement of the game and to be a part of it every Sunday is incredible," he said. "Whether I'm watching the Redskins play or on the road scouting the next opponent, it never gets old to hear the national anthem and get the rush that comes at kickoff."
