NFL CAREER – Signed by the Saints after the 2018 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State, Gray enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career in 2024. Voted by his teammates as the club's special teams captain for the fourth consecutive season, the Clarksdale, Miss. native appeared in all 17 games and led the NFL with a career-high 26 special teams tackles while adding three defensive stops (two solo) and a forced fumble, earning AP All-Pro honors and becoming the only NFL player with at least ten stops in each of the last four seasons. Playing in 98 career games, Gray has career totals of 93 special teams stops, two blocked punts, one special teams forced fumble, one coverage fumble recovery and 14 defensive tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. Since his first full season in 2019, Gray's 91 special teams tackles lead the NFL.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Agreed to terms on three-year contract extension, 3/10/23; Agreed to terms on two-year contract extension, 3/3/21; Signed to reserve/future contract, 1/21/19; Signed to practice squad, 11/15/18; Waived, 11/13/18; Signed by Saints as an undrafted free agent, 5/2/18.
HONORS – 2024: AP second-team All-Pro; 2021: AP first-team All-Pro; PFWA All-NFL and All-NFC; Pro Bowl (starter); 2019: AP second-team All-Pro; PFWA All-NFC.
2024 – Played in all 17 games, leading NFL with a career-high 26 special teams tackles. Gray's 16 solo coverage stops also led league. Added one blocked punt, three defensive tackles (two solo) and one forced fumble…Vs. Carolina, Sept. 8, rotated in at safety and on special teams, finishing with four coverage tackles, tying career-high…Blocked second punt of career, vs. Philadelphia, Sept. 22…Finished with career-high two defensive solo stops, a forced fumble, and three coverage tackles vs. Tampa Bay, Oct. 13…At L.A. Chargers, Oct. 27, finished with two coverage stops…Vs. Atlanta, Nov. 10, finished with a defensive tackle and two special teams stops…Vs. L.A. Rams, Dec. 1, played on special teams and recorded one tackle, bringing his season total to 20, the first Saint to record 20+ special teams stops since Usama Young in 2007…At N.Y. Giants, Dec. 8, recorded three special teams stops…at Green Bay, Dec. 23, finished with one special teams stop to bring his total coverage tackles to 25 on the season, the first Saint to reach 25 or more special teams stops since Saints Hall of Famer and current Vice President of Player Development, Fred McAfee (30 in 2005)…Vs. Las Vegas, Dec. 29, finished with one coverage tackle. 2023 – Appeared in 14 games, posting 11 special teams tackles along with a defensive stop…Missed opener (shoulder) vs. Tennessee, Sept. 10…At Carolina, Sept. 18, made season debut, recording one special teams tackle…At Green Bay, Sept. 24, recorded two special teams tackles…Vs. Tampa Bay, Oct. 1, finished with an assisted defensive stop…At New England, Oct. 8, departed in third quarter with hamstring injury that caused him to miss next two games…At Indianapolis, Oct. 29, recorded a special teams stop…At Atlanta, Nov. 26, had two coverage stops…Vs. Detroit, Dec. 3, recorded a coverage stop…Vs. Carolina, Dec. 10, recorded two coverage stops…Vs. N.Y. Giants, Dec. 17, recorded a special teams stop, bringing season total to 10. Reached double-digit special teams stops for fourth time and third consecutive season. Joined San Francisco 49ers S George Odum (2020-2023) as the second player with at least ten coverage stops each of the last three seasons…At L.A. Rams, Dec. 21, got his hands on a punt, which went for only eight yards…Vs. Atlanta, 1/7/24, finished with one special teams tackle. 2022 – Appeared in 14 games, posting 12 special teams stops to go with five defensive tackles (two solo) and 2.5 sacks…At Atlanta, Sept. 11, recorded two special teams tackles…At Carolina, Sept. 25, played on defense and special teams, posting two tackles, a split sack, a QB hit and a coverage stop…Vs. Minnesota (London), Oct. 2, made season-high three special teams tackles (two solo)…Vs. Seattle, Oct. 9, recorded one solo tackle and one sack…At Pittsburgh, Nov. 13, recorded two special teams tackles…Missed next three games (hamstring)…Vs. Atlanta, Dec. 18, recorded a solo special teams stop…At Philadelphia, 1/1/23, played on both defense and special teams, tallying an assisted stop and an assisted coverage tackle. In third quarter, flipped a punt before it reached the end zone, allowing LB Pete Werner to down ball at Eagles' four-yard line…Vs. Carolina, 1/8/23, played on defense and special teams, recording one sack for an eight-yard loss and a solo special teams tackle. 2021 – Played in 16 games and led NFL with 19 special teams tackles (league-leading 16 solo) and added three defensive stops…Selected as AP first-team All-Pro and as a Pro Bowl starter…In season-opening over Green Bay (game played in Jacksonville, Fla. due to Hurricane Ida), Sept. 12, played on both defense and special teams and finished the game with a career-high two tackles (one solo) and two coverage stops (one solo)…Finished with two special teams stops at Seattle, Oct. 25...Played on defense and special teams at Tennessee, Nov. 14, and had two coverage stops…With a coverage stop vs. Buffalo, Nov. 25, recorded double-digit figures for second time in three seasons…Recorded two special teams tackles vs. Dallas, Dec. 2…Played in 50th career game at N.Y. Jets and recorded career-high four special teams tackles (three solo)…Finished with a special teams stop in Sunday Night win at Tampa Bay, Dec. 19…Missed Week 16 contest vs. Miami, Dec. 27, (COVID-19 protocols)…Returned in Week 17 and rotated at safety and on special teams vs. Carolina, 1/2/22, recording one solo tackle and a coverage stop…Finished with one special teams tackle in season finale at Atlanta, 1/9/22 to finish season with league-best 19 stops. 2020 – Appeared in all 16 regular season games and posted one defensive tackle, a team-high seven coverage stops and one pass defense. Appeared in both postseason contests on special teams…Recorded one special teams stop vs. Carolina, Oct. 25…Recorded one coverage tackle at Tampa Bay, Nov. 8…Recorded one special teams tackle vs. Atlanta, Nov. 22…Recorded his fifth special teams tackle of the season at Atlanta to win the field position battle for series sweep, Dec. 6…Recorded season-high two special teams tackles, vs. Kansas City, Dec. 20…Played on defense and special teams, recording one solo tackle and his first career pass breakup in regular season finale at Carolina, 1/3/21. 2019 – Appeared in all 16 regular season games and finished with a team-high 16 special teams tackles, a blocked punt, a coverage fumble recovery and a defensive stop…AP second-team All-Pro and PFWA All-NFC selection…Recorded three special teams tackles at Seattle, Sept. 22…Recorded blocked punt on Chicago's opening possession that resulted in a safety at Bears, Oct. 20…Recorded first career defensive solo tackle and one special teams stop vs. Atlanta, Nov. 10…Recorded one special teams stop at Tampa Bay, Nov. 17…Had a first quarter fumble recovery off a muffed punt that led to a touchdown at Carolina, Nov. 24…Recorded two special teams tackles (one solo) at Tennessee, Dec. 22…Posted two solo special teams stops in regular season finale at Carolina, Dec. 29…Played on special teams in the NFC Wild Card Playoff loss vs. Minnesota, 1/5/20. 2018 – Played in five regular season games, spending the remainder of season on practice squad and finished with two special teams stops…Had one solo special teams tackle at Atlanta, Sept. 23.
COLLEGE – Played in 45 games with 17 starts for the Bulldogs from 2014-17 and collected 210 tackles, 14.5 stops for loss, four sacks, eight pass breakups and an interception…In 2017, ranked third on team in tackles (65) while playing MSU's S/LB hybrid…As a junior, ranked third on the team in tackles (71), playing in all 13 games at Viper and starting 10 contests…In 2015, played in all 13 games at linebacker and ranked fourth on the team in tackles (74) and added 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack…Industrial Technology major.
PERSONAL – Played junior season at Coolidge (Ariz.) HS, before transferring to Clarksdale (Miss.) HS for senior campaign...Grew up in the Magnolia State and came home for final season...Helped the Cougars to a 7-5 record as senior as team advanced to second round of Class 5A Mississippi state playoffs...Member of The Clarion-Ledger's Targeted 22...Took part in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic...Earned Arizona Division IV Section II first-team as a defensive back after junior season and second-team at running back in 2012...Played on both sides of ball as a senior and recorded 58 tackles. Offensively, rushed for 939 yards and 16 scores...As junior, tallied 60 carries for 914 yards (15.2 avg.) and 15 scores and caught ten passes for 117 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, booked a team-leading 112 stops and two interceptions…Ran track for Coolidge and qualified for the state meet in 100-meter dash, 200-meter run, high jump and long jump…Participated in the National Football League's My Cause, My Cleats initiative to promote mental health awareness, selecting Fund Recovery/Mental Mindset as his cause in 2024, as he works to raise funds for mental health services in three cities that have been significant in his life: his hometown of Clarksdale, Starkville and his NFL home of New Orleans…In 2022, participated in a Hancock Whitney Play Football Experience with Chalmette Elementary School youth…In 2024, the Mississippi native, visited Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi to spend time with and show appreciation for military and their families for an Easter carnival…Collaborates with high school teammate, Packers OL Elgton Jenkins to host "Backyard Dawgz" Camp and seven-on-seven tournament for Clarksdale third-eighth graders…Participated in team's 2024 Thanksgiving turkey giveaway event at Dryades YMCA…In December, hosted his first annual Holiday Blitz event at a New Orleans department store, where he had 50 at-risk youth in attendance from Heroes of New Orleans and presented them with a $15,000 shopping spree…In February appeared at Kenner Discovery Health Academy to support them in a STEM event…In the spring, went undercover as a team member at a Rouses Market and surprised the shoppers with a gift card…Juantavius Tavon Gray was born on Jan. 18, 1996 in Clarksdale, Miss.
