Ray Willis (born August 13, 1982) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
offensive tackle who last played for the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
(NFL). He was selected by the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
in the fourth round (105th overall pick) of the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also hel ...
. He played
college football for the
Florida State University Seminoles
The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...
.
He has also been a member of the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
and
New York Jets.
Early years
Willis attended
Angleton High School
Angleton High School is a public high school located just outside the city of Angleton, Texas, United States in unincorporated Brazoria County. It is classified as a 5A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is a part of the ...
and was a
letterman in
football. In football, as a senior, he was an All-District honoree, a Class 5A All-State honoree, and after his senior season, he was named an All-Midland Regional honorable mention by Prep Star, and was ranked the Super Prep's 28th best
offensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...
, and the 36th-best football prospect in the state of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
College career
Willis attended
Florida State University, where he
started
"Started" is a song recorded by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea for her second studio album ''In My Defense''. The song was written by Azalea alongside Ronny Wright and produced by American record producer J. White Did It. It was released by Ba ...
35 games and teamed with
Alex Barron to make one of the best offensive lines in college football.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
He started at both right
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
and right tackle for Seattle. He is known as a good
run
Run(s) or RUN may refer to:
Places
* Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia
* Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant
People
* Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop grou ...
blocker. He re-signed with the team on March 6, 2008 and then again on March 9, 2009.
Miami Dolphins
On August 5, 2011, Willis signed with the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
. Willis's contract was terminated by the Dolphins on September 3.
New Orleans Saints
Willis signed with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
on November 2, 2011.
New York Jets
Willis was signed by the
New York Jets on May 29, 2012. He was waived by the team on June 28.
Kansas City Chiefs
Willis was signed by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
on July 31, 2012. He looks to compete for the offensive swing-tackle position.
Personal life
Ray Willis is married to the former Kimberly Pettaway of
Tarboro, North Carolina
Tarboro is a town located in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 10,721. It is the county seat of Edgecombe County. The ...
. His wife gave birth to twins - a boy and a girl - on February 23, 2008.
References
External links
Kansas City Chiefs bioMiami Dolphins bioSeattle Seahawks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Ray
1982 births
Living people
People from Angleton, Texas
Angleton High School alumni
Players of American football from Texas
American football offensive tackles
Florida State Seminoles football players
Seattle Seahawks players
Sportspeople from the Houston metropolitan area
Miami Dolphins players
New Orleans Saints players
New York Jets players
Kansas City Chiefs players