Ray Graham Talks About His NFL Future

Here is my interview with Pitt running back Ray Graham at the 2013 East West Shrine Game:

On the tradition of Pittsburgh Running backs:

Fanspeak’s Interview with RB Ray Graham.

It’s definitely an honor, starting off with the great Tony Dorsett, and all the past running backs. It is just an honor to be able to be mentioned with those types of running backs. It’s definitely a humbling experience and it makes me go that much harder.

On any conversations he’s had with former Pitt running backs:

I spoke with Dion Lewis. Dion Lewis and I keep a good relationship, we are real cool off the field, we had a good relationship while we were there together playing together back-and-forth. Shady, he comes back some times and we’ll talk as well.

What’s the best piece of advice given by a former Pitt player:

Just work hard every day. Tony Dorsett told us what he used to do was work his basics, such as simple things like his footwork. Working from the smallest things ‘going right’, ‘going left’. Just working on small steps, and he said that he perfected it and like doing it in his sleep. I took that and ran with that and I just tried to get good feet by doing that. He gave great feedback to us and I took it.

On what lessons he took from the adversity Pitt has dealt with in recent years:

I just think that it only makes you stronger. The things that you we’ve been through, because we’ve been through a lot of different coaches and how you bounce back from that is on you. I think we took it and ran with it, and we didn’t back down from a challenge. No matter who came in there, we looked at each other as a family. We went in there and were going to be strong no matter who came in there. And I just think that you have to be strong to deal with situations like that, anybody could have just said that “oh I’m leaving” but we stayed together and kept playing and doing what was best for the team.

On what he learned and how he grew coming back from the knee injury:

It was a humbling experience. It was definitely humbling, it lets  you know that you are not invincible. Anything can happen to anybody at any given moment. As always it’s a gift of God’s glory, you praise his name every time you get a chance to and don’t be shy about it. He gave me another chance to play, and I’m very happy everyday. I’m happy and blessed to be out here.

On the best two traits that he will bring to an NFL team:

A will to get better, to learn and get better. Just being a leader, lead by my actions. Continue to try to get better and help my team out any way I can.

On what part of his game on the field that he wants to show teams that he can do:

I want to show that I can catch the ball, and be a scat back out of the backfield. I think that I can catch the ball really well, and I like my chances against linebackers. Also I want to show my blocking, I  think I have improved on my blocking and think I can continue to get better with that. And just making people miss, I think I have a good chance one-on-one with defenders.

On the best piece of advice the coaching staff at the Shrine Game has told him:

When you are doing everything, going hard and going fast. Coach tell us everytime go big or go home, and he always tells us we aren’t going home so it’s time to go big. They just tell us that there are always eyes on you so what you do is what you put on film. You got to try to put the good things on film and that is what we try to do.

Fanspeak’s NFL Draft Coverage:

Shrine Game Coverage, Senior Bowl Coverage, NFL Mock Draft Headquarters, NFL Draft Headquarters