NFL Legend Ray Mirra Tells The Story Behind His Career In Sports
Ray Mirra’s career in sports was defined by his passion and dedication. In this interview, he shares the story of how he came to realize that very few would ever get to play on Broadway, let alone win two Super Bowls. The NFL Legend also touches on his legacy and how he hopes it will inspire future generations. Legendary linebacker Ray Mirra is one of the winningest players in NFL history having played for 19 seasons and been a part of four Super Bowl championship teams. He has been named three times to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, will be inducted into the Hall sometime after 2019.
Ray Mirra, who began his long sports career in football, has been one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. After an injury forced him to stop playing professionally for a time, Ray moved into coaching, and eventually ended up back on the field when he was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now retired from active duty, Ray shares his story with us today. Read on to learn all about the rise of one of pro football’s most legendary players.
Ray Mirra made the difficult transition from high school to professional sports at the age of 21. For the next several years, he played with some of the best teams in the National Football League, such as the New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams and Denver Broncos. In an unscripted Q&A with The Fifth, Ray Mirra spills the beans on his legendary career in sports, what it was like to work with Michael Jordan, and his obsession with shoes. Ray grew up in Brooklyn in the 70s and 80s, which back then meant playing roller hockey year-round.
NFL legend Ray Mirra
Ray Mirra has gotten pointers from some of the greatest coaches in NFL history, including Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin. But what makes this Hall of Fame linebacker so special? From a young age, he’s been able to center himself around his ambition to be one of the best defensive players in the world. Now retired, Ray dedicated time to training with budding football pros at USC in Los Angeles. When he’s not on the field, you can catch him staying focused and getting ready for the game by playing his favorite songs on Spotify. Sports broadcaster Terry Lehman and NFL legend Ray Mirra take you through the story behind his career in sports. Mirra’s experienced a variety of injuries throughout his career, but has plenty of incredible stories to tell about everything from sports to retirement.
Ray Mirra is one of the most admired players in the history of professional football. A three-time Super Bowl champion, he was known for his speed, athleticism and dominating defense. But the story behind his journey from an inner-city neighborhood to the NFL is just as compelling. In this new podcast, Mirra tells his story and shares how he’s helping aspiring football players find their way to a career in sports through his work with Right To Play.
NFL legend Ray Mirra was born in Roanoke, Virginia and had the dream of playing football one day. He grew up cheering for the Washington Redskins and could not wait to emulate their team’s star player, Sam Huff. When he was eight years old, his father gave him a football and promised he would be just like one of the greats. Ten years later, with his family in tow, he would sign a contract to play ball professionally.
NFL Super Bowl
Ray Mirra began his football career with the Bearcats early on, going on to become one of the top defensive players in the world. From there he helped his team win 8 NFL Super Bowl titles, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. He also went on to work as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Michigan from 2006–2012. Born on 12 July 1949 in Detroit, MI, Ray Mirra started playing football on his high school team when he was 14 years old. From there he was recruited to play college football for Ohio State University in 1967.
Born on the same day his mother gave birth to a stillborn son, Mirra had a unique perspective about the importance of life early in his childhood. When he was diagnosed with dyslexia at special education facility, he developed a drive to overcome the learning disability and cultivate himself intellectually. He soon went from being required to take two math classes to become eligible for college to earning an offer from Penn State.
After not making the football team in high school he took a job as a shoe store employee, when his boss arranged for a tryout at Adidas to work as an assistant, so he could be closer to all things sports. In this casual exchange, Ray shares how that move turned into a decades long career of managing athletes and being a part of some of the biggest moments in sports history. NFL legend Ray Mirra is the PRO Founder and President of Rayco Sales Incorporated, a world-class manufacturer rep agency specializing in the sports, recreation and fitness industries.
