Ray named defensive back of the year
University of Indianapolis senior football player Craig Ray was voted the 2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference “Defensive Back of the Year” by the league’s coaches Nov. 17.
This marks the second time Ray has made the GLIAC First Team Defense. He finished the 2010 season with 116 total tackles from the strong safety position, including eight games with double digit tackle totals. He started all 11 games for UIndy, ranking fourth in the league and 13th in the nation in tackles per game. In addition to this award, Ray also was named the College Division Academic All-District Five Second Team earlier this month.
The Academic All-District Teams are voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America, with first-team honorees moving on to the Academic All-America ballot. Ray, a captain of the UIndy football team, maintains a 3.32 GPA in health and physical education. He has led a Greyhound defense that has guided UIndy to its first winning season since 2007, with a 6-5 record in the GLIAC.
At the beginning of the season, Ray was also named to the 2010
Consensus Draft Services and Division II Pre-Season All-America Second Team.
“He really is a great player,” said football head coach Bob Bartolomeo.
“He’s the best safety in the league. I have other coaches text me after the game and tell me that.”
Ray has been the recipient of many awards throughout his four seasons at UIndy.
In 2009, he was named to the NCAA Division II All-Super Region Third Team. He was also an All-GLIAC First Team selection and ranked second on the team with 81 tackles.
In 2008, he was voted UIndy’s “Defensive Back of the Year” as well as “Most Valuable Defensive Player of the Year” and made the All-GLIAC Second Team. In 2007, he was named UIndy’s “Freshman of the Year.”
“It feels good to be recognized for your efforts and performance,” Ray said. “It also represents the school and the football program in a positive way. It reflects hard work and dedication.”
Although quiet throughout the week at practice, Bartolomeo said he is very vocal come game day.
“He’s just a super person, a real class act,” added Bartolomeo.
After his last game as a UIndy Greyhound, Ray says he hopes to take football as far as he can. If football doesn’t work out, he hopes to one day be an elementary school physical education teacher and coach high school sports.
“The thing I will miss the most is the simplicity of playing the game,” Ray added. “Football is a sport that when you’re out there, all your stresses go away and you focus on playing and having fun.”
