Ray Merril Beck (March 17, 1931 – January 10, 2007) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

in 1952 and from 1955 to 1957. Beck was born in

Bowdon, Georgia Bowdon is a city in Carroll County, Georgia, Carroll County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,161. History The community was incorporated on January ...

and graduated from Cedartown High School. He played four years at

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

and had his best season his senior year in 1951, when the Yellow Jackets finished 11–0–1 including a 17–14 victory over Baylor in the

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

. He was named

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

by the Football Writers Association and the American Football Coaches Association, as well as Most Valuable Lineman in the Southeastern Conference. He missed the 1953–54 seasons due to military service during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. He later was president of a trucking company in the Atlanta area and was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

in 1997.

References

1931 births 2007 deaths People from Bowdon, Georgia Players of American football from Carroll County, Georgia American football offensive guards Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees New York Giants players 20th-century American sportsmen {{offensive-lineman-1930s-stub