Former Sooner Eric Gray shows out in preseason opener

Eric Gray spent two years in Norman before being drafted by the New York Giants.

The NFL preseason is underway, as just weeks remain before the season will return and we’ll have more football than we know what to do with.

One former Oklahoma Sooner made his 2024 preseason debut on Thursday night and was a standout in the Big Apple.

Former OU running back [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] stole the show for the New York Giants in a 14-3 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday. Gray only got four carries in limited action, but he certainly made the most of them, racking up 52 yards and two touchdown runs.

Gray’s first house call went for 48 yards and showed off the open field running that made him so elusive at Oklahoma.

But Gray wasn’t done, showing good vision and versatility on a one-yard score, finding the hole to get to paydirt for the second time on the night.

Gray is in his second year in the league, after being selected in the fifth round (172nd overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a transfer portal addition for the Sooners in 2021 and had 78 carries for 412 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 229 yards and two touchdowns, playing second fiddle in the backfield behind [autotag]Kennedy Brooks[/autotag].

He took over as the lead back in 2022, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ first season as the head coach, and had 213 carries for yards and 11 touchdowns to go with 33 receptions for 229 yards. He had eight games during the season where he went over 100 rushing yards and four games with two rushing touchdowns.

Gray is looking for a bigger role on the Giants’ offense in 2024, after the G-Men lost Saquon Barkley in free agency this offseason. He’s in a fight to make the roster and contribute in the backfield after 17 carries for 48 yards and 6 catches for 22 yards as a rookie last year.

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