For an athletic trainer, a chance to work on the gridiron sidelines as part of a professional football team is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Mulerider Darrell Gray is not much different from that proverbial needle. The senior education major – a farm boy from the outskirts of Marshall, Texas – seized the opportunity this summer to work alongside field experts and the Detroit Lions.

“Fourteen-hour days are common place for us during training camp,” said Gray, of the grinding work in a professional camp. “There were two practices a day and we did treatments on players before and after their team meetings. I can understand why they call them the ‘dog days of training camp.’ It took a little getting used to, but after a couple of weeks, I got the hang of it.”

According to Gray, one of his favorite parts of the entire experience was meeting the professional football players.

“I’m a huge football fan, so to be able to meet these guys that I’ve seen on television was very surreal to me. It was a surprise to me to see how normal these guys actually are,” he said. “Going into this, I thought they would act a certain way because of the money they had, but most everybody was unchanged and actually reminded me of our guys here at SAU.”

Raised on a farm, Gray grew up raising cattle, tending crops and baling hay, but he dreamed of being so many different things.

“I wanted to be a firefighter, an accountant, an architect, an engineer, an athletic trainer and a physical therapist,” he said.

An experience with a high school football injury would narrow down his professional focus.

“I tore my ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament). I wasn’t going to be able to finish my senior year playing football, but I still wanted to contribute to the team, so I volunteered to work with the athletic trainer,” said Gray. “Throughout my senior year, she took time to teach me the basics of athletic training and it sparked an interest in me. I liked it well enough in high school to give it a shot here at SAU and it’s a decision that I don’t regret.”

A scholarship opportunity brought Gray to SAU. He was skeptical because he had never heard of the Arkansas university prior to the last month of his high school career.

“It was a last-minute decision to come here, so I had no idea what to expect,” he said. “When I first arrived on campus, it was rough for me because I didn’t know anyone. It didn’t really help that I am pretty quiet and was very shy at the time. As I got used to things, I began to realize that SAU was the perfect place for me.”

Gray likes the close-knit community SAU offers. He was accepted to Honors College and was involved in the Student Government Association, as well as his work with the SAU Athletic Training Program, where he worked with Head Athletic Trainer Ken Cole and Director of Athletic Training Jan Kiilsgaard. He found encouragement and support from within the department, which had a valuable effect on Gray and his ability to step up to this professional challenge. His experiences at SAU have given him confidence.

“I like the fact that professors actually know my name and you’re not easily overlooked,” said Gray. “Being a part of the SAU Athletic Training Program has been great for me. Coming in as a freshman, I was able to get valuable hands-on experience that I wouldn’t have gotten at other schools. Being able to do things that early instills a confidence and a comfort level that is very important to have.”

“Darrell has always shown a commitment to the goals he has set for himself, and after this opportunity with the Lions, he is more focused on his career goal,” said Cole. “Darrell will do well in his profession of choice.”

His future plans include a doctorate in physical therapy, but his family, faith and SAU helped build the foundation for those plans. His career-shaping experience with the Detroit Lions is one of the many blessings that Gray said came with his decision to come to SAU.

“I thank God for this blessing,” he said. “It is not often that you are afforded opportunities like this. I just hope that I represented my family, friends, hometown, and school in a way that can make them all proud.”