Fort Lewis College’s football season ended with a loss, but completing the season was a special victory for one player in particular.
Senior left tackle Arthur Ray Jr. completed his college football career Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field. It was 1,500 miles away from where he first imagined his college career coming to a close in East Lansing, Michigan.
Ray was recruited by current FLC head coach John L. Smith to play at Michigan State back in 2007. He signed with the Spartans in 2007, but two months later he was receiving treatment for a cancerous tumor in his left leg.
He battled threw chemotherapy to fight his bone cancer, and he would need three more bone-graft surgeries. Ray wouldn’t play again until 2011.
Ray only played in three games at Michigan State. He earned the Discover Orange Bowl/Football Writers Association of America Courage Award after the 2011 season.
But Ray wanted more than to sit on the sideline for a powerhouse football team. He wanted to prove he still could play the game.
That’s when he found Fort Lewis College and his second chance at college football.
Ray played in six games as a junior in 2013 before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, and he played in eight games this season after missing weeks two through four with another injury.
It paid off, as Ray was named a second-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference lineman Tuesday.
“Man, it’s special. I just thank coach (Smith) from the bottom of my heart, giving me the opportunity,” Ray said Saturday after the Skyhawks finished the season with a 28-16 loss to Chadron State. “Everybody counted me out, especially when I was down in the dumps. Everybody said I wouldn’t be able to make it.”
Already with a connection to Smith, transferring to Division II Fort Lewis College became a perfect fit when Ray began searching for new schools to play for.
“When I was at Michigan State and I prayed for an opportunity, I didn’t want the glitz and glamour or anything like that. If coach John L. was coaching a football team on the street, I would’ve been the first guy signed up. I just wanted the opportunity,” Ray said.
FLC fought to get Ray two years of eligibility, which he received. After that, Ray went to work getting to know his teammates in unfamiliar surroundings.
“The guys, as a team, took me in. I walked in, I knew I was the D-1 guy, and I was gonna have to earn the respect of my teammates,” Ray said. “I wasn’t coming in here arrogant. I wasn’t coming in here feeling like I was owed anything. I just wanted a chance to play this game.”
Ray’s return to the FLC lineup in Week 5 of the season greatly bolstered the team’s rushing attack. He was a team captain both years for the Skyhawks, and the rest of the offensive line followed his lead.
After Saturday’s game, Ray stood near the north endzone of Ray Dennison Memorial Field. Helmet off, he gazed out toward the La Plata mountains. The only thing on his mind was his parents, Adrian and Arthur Ray Sr.
“It’s surreal, man. My parents, (Saturday) was their first day watching me play since high school – like really play,” said Ray Jr., a top offensive lineman recruit out of Mount Carmel High School in Chicago by Rivals.com, Scout.com and Scouts, Inc. “I couldn’t be happier. (Saturday) was for them. ... for my family ... for everybody who supported me on this journey.”
Coach Smith was emotional Saturday while sitting next to Ray. The two’s bond is something that won’t end after Ray leaves FLC.
“He’s got a big heart. That’s what carried him through; that’s what’s going to carry him through life,” Smith said.
Ray will continue being a motivational speaker. His slogan is “A Ray of Hope,” and he wants to spread his message of hope to anyone going through a battle with cancer. He already received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Michigan State in 2012.
“I just want to be a sign of hope. I want to be a sign of anything is possible,” Ray said. “I want to give people a piece of hope that they can do anything they want, especially if they put their mind to it. You can overcome anything, any obstacle in your life.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
