DJM 18
Well-known member
Good story, great attitude...maybe not in the NFL but the heart of a true champion !!!
http://www.augustachronicle.com/spo...ointed-that-heart-defect-ends-football-career
A.J. Gray’s view of his new horizon began at Disney World.
On Tuesday morning – a day after Georgia Tech announced that Gray’s promising football career had come to a premature end because of a heart condition – the former Washington County star was headed to “the happiest place on Earth” with his girlfriend, Cera, and another couple from school.
For the rising senior at Georgia Tech with a strong likelihood to have been drafted as an NFL safety next year, Disney is as good a place as any to escape for a little emotional reboot.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” Gray said in his typically understated way Tuesday morning about the sudden end to his college career.
Gray – who in 2016 prompted Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson to state “I think he’s got the opportunity to be one of the all-time great players at Georgia Tech” – suffers from the most common congenital heart defect, a bicuspid aortic valve. An estimated 1 to 2 percent of the population, predominately males, have two of the normal three leaflets in the aortic valve fuse in the womb resulting in a two-leaflet valve that controls the flow of blood into the aorta from the left ventricle.
“My parents knew about it when I was born but doctor said it was nothing too serious,” Gray said. “I played high school and college with it and was fine.”
Gray was more than “fine” as a decorated two-sport athlete at Washington County. He was one of the most electrifying regional playmakers of all-time as quarterback and defensive back for the Golden Hawks, leading them to consecutive Class AAA state championship games at the Georgia Dome in 2013-14. Every time he touched the ball he was a threat to score, accounting for 64 touchdowns rushing, passing and returning interceptions his senior season as he was named the Georgia high school player of the year in all classifications and a Parade All-American. He received the Deon Grant Award as the area’s top football player following the 2014 season.
The son of Washington County’s principal, Gray never wavered from his early commitment to Georgia Tech and made an immediate impression as a true freshman that promised bigger things. It was before his sophomore season, however, when the team cardiologist discovered his heart condition and told Gray “he wanted to watch it.”
Before his sophomore and junior seasons, the monitoring revealed nothing overly troubling, and Gray was cleared to start every game as free safety. He ranked third on the team in tackles as a sophomore (72) and junior (54).
Two weeks ago, Gray’s annual physical exam revealed that the beginning portion of his aorta had enlarged from 4.2 to 4.5 centimeters. At a meeting in the doctor’s office with his parents and Johnson last Friday, the cardiologist said the risk of an acute rupture from a collision or overall stress of football training exceeded what he considered safe.
“The doctor was like when it gets that big he has to pull me from sports activities,” Gray said.
“Initially it feels like you got hit by a Mack truck,” said Gray’s father, Dr. Allen Gray. “Of course A.J. was very, very disappointed and so were all of us – even the cardiologist. But when it was all said and done, we were eventually just very thankful that Georgia Tech did their due diligence and were happy that it was caught in time because the alternative could have been catastrophic.”
Gray will remain on scholarship to finish his degree at Georgia Tech this year in informational technology. He already knows his immediate plans.
“I’m gonna stay and get my master’s degree, too,” he said.
Said Dr. Gray: “I’ve always told all my kids never put your eggs all in one basket. Lord closed one door but he always opens another.”
Case in point, A.J.’s older sister, Allisha – who helped lead South Carolina women’s basketball to the 2017 NCAA title as a junior before leaving for the WNBA – will walk the graduation stage in Columbia, on Saturday to get her degree in broadcast journalism.
Despite earning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors with the Dallas Wings, Allisha Gray kept doing coursework through proctored exams and online courses before returning to campus in the spring to complete her last semester in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications before heading to basketball training camp.
“My parents are really big on education so I made a promise to them that after the season I’d come back and finish my degree – and here I am now,” Allisha Gray told the school’s online publication.
A.J. said his sister was “upset” when she heard the news about his playing career, but she tweeted “Your future will still be bright!!! I love you!!!”
Gray said his future will include being in some way a part of the Yellow Jackets’ 2018 season. Whether his future will include football and in what capacity, remains to be seen.
“I’m gonna stay around it,” he said, “but only time will tell.”
Asked specifically whether there’s any chance he could still reach a Disney-like happy ending in the NFL, Gray doesn’t see that in his script.
“Yeah, if they want to pay me to coach,” he said. “But as far as playing, naw.”
http://www.augustachronicle.com/spo...ointed-that-heart-defect-ends-football-career
A.J. Gray’s view of his new horizon began at Disney World.
On Tuesday morning – a day after Georgia Tech announced that Gray’s promising football career had come to a premature end because of a heart condition – the former Washington County star was headed to “the happiest place on Earth” with his girlfriend, Cera, and another couple from school.
For the rising senior at Georgia Tech with a strong likelihood to have been drafted as an NFL safety next year, Disney is as good a place as any to escape for a little emotional reboot.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” Gray said in his typically understated way Tuesday morning about the sudden end to his college career.
Gray – who in 2016 prompted Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson to state “I think he’s got the opportunity to be one of the all-time great players at Georgia Tech” – suffers from the most common congenital heart defect, a bicuspid aortic valve. An estimated 1 to 2 percent of the population, predominately males, have two of the normal three leaflets in the aortic valve fuse in the womb resulting in a two-leaflet valve that controls the flow of blood into the aorta from the left ventricle.
“My parents knew about it when I was born but doctor said it was nothing too serious,” Gray said. “I played high school and college with it and was fine.”
Gray was more than “fine” as a decorated two-sport athlete at Washington County. He was one of the most electrifying regional playmakers of all-time as quarterback and defensive back for the Golden Hawks, leading them to consecutive Class AAA state championship games at the Georgia Dome in 2013-14. Every time he touched the ball he was a threat to score, accounting for 64 touchdowns rushing, passing and returning interceptions his senior season as he was named the Georgia high school player of the year in all classifications and a Parade All-American. He received the Deon Grant Award as the area’s top football player following the 2014 season.
The son of Washington County’s principal, Gray never wavered from his early commitment to Georgia Tech and made an immediate impression as a true freshman that promised bigger things. It was before his sophomore season, however, when the team cardiologist discovered his heart condition and told Gray “he wanted to watch it.”
Before his sophomore and junior seasons, the monitoring revealed nothing overly troubling, and Gray was cleared to start every game as free safety. He ranked third on the team in tackles as a sophomore (72) and junior (54).
Two weeks ago, Gray’s annual physical exam revealed that the beginning portion of his aorta had enlarged from 4.2 to 4.5 centimeters. At a meeting in the doctor’s office with his parents and Johnson last Friday, the cardiologist said the risk of an acute rupture from a collision or overall stress of football training exceeded what he considered safe.
“The doctor was like when it gets that big he has to pull me from sports activities,” Gray said.
“Initially it feels like you got hit by a Mack truck,” said Gray’s father, Dr. Allen Gray. “Of course A.J. was very, very disappointed and so were all of us – even the cardiologist. But when it was all said and done, we were eventually just very thankful that Georgia Tech did their due diligence and were happy that it was caught in time because the alternative could have been catastrophic.”
Gray will remain on scholarship to finish his degree at Georgia Tech this year in informational technology. He already knows his immediate plans.
“I’m gonna stay and get my master’s degree, too,” he said.
Said Dr. Gray: “I’ve always told all my kids never put your eggs all in one basket. Lord closed one door but he always opens another.”
Case in point, A.J.’s older sister, Allisha – who helped lead South Carolina women’s basketball to the 2017 NCAA title as a junior before leaving for the WNBA – will walk the graduation stage in Columbia, on Saturday to get her degree in broadcast journalism.
Despite earning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors with the Dallas Wings, Allisha Gray kept doing coursework through proctored exams and online courses before returning to campus in the spring to complete her last semester in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications before heading to basketball training camp.
“My parents are really big on education so I made a promise to them that after the season I’d come back and finish my degree – and here I am now,” Allisha Gray told the school’s online publication.
A.J. said his sister was “upset” when she heard the news about his playing career, but she tweeted “Your future will still be bright!!! I love you!!!”
Gray said his future will include being in some way a part of the Yellow Jackets’ 2018 season. Whether his future will include football and in what capacity, remains to be seen.
“I’m gonna stay around it,” he said, “but only time will tell.”
Asked specifically whether there’s any chance he could still reach a Disney-like happy ending in the NFL, Gray doesn’t see that in his script.
“Yeah, if they want to pay me to coach,” he said. “But as far as playing, naw.”
