Texas Football: 3 best Longhorn DB’s that ever played in NFL

At the outset of his NFL career back in the mid-1980’s, former Longhorns cornerback Jerry Gray was an absolute stud for the Los Angeles Rams. The two-time First-Team All-American honoree in 1983 and 1984 with the Longhorns was the 21st overall pick of the Rams in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft.

Gray didn’t get a whole lot of playing time during his rookie season with the Rams, back in 1985 at the age of 23, but he did really breakthrough as a sophomore in the NFL. He got his first of four eventual Pro Bowl selections during the 1986 season, when he registered eight interceptions, one fumble recovery, in 16 starts.

What Gray does not get enough credit for was how valuable some of his contributions were during the 1985 playoff run for the Rams. He have one pick and three fumble recoveries for the Rams during their 1985 playoff run, which saw him play in two games.

Moreover, over the course of the next three seasons, Gray would get three more consecutive Pro Bowl selections. He racked up 22 interceptions in total during his seven seasons with the Rams. He had his first career interception returned for a touchdown during the 1986 season, and would have another in 1987.

Gray finished out his stellar NFL career, where he played for three different teams (also the Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) with 28 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He also had nine career fumble recoveries and an approximate value rating north of 75.