Cardinals TE Dray beat odds, to face old coach
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Not many people thought Jim Dray would have an NFL career after he suffered a severe knee injury as a sophomore at Stanford.
But his coach at the time, Jim Harbaugh, had confidence in Dray. And this weekend Dray will be playing for the Arizona Cardinals against his college coach and the San Francisco 49ers in a game that has major playoff consequences.
And Harbaugh is not surprised.
"With some players, you wonder if they will make it back from an injury, especially a devastating injury like Jimmy had; whether they'll be able to have the mental toughness to go through the grueling rehab," Harbaugh said. "But with Jim, no, I never did.
"I never wondered about that or was surprised that he made it back and he's playing in the NFL now. I just knew him and knew his makeup, and I knew that he would whip that adversity, stare it in the face, and whip its butt. I knew that was coming."
Dray, a seventh-round pick by the Cardinals in 2010, has prospered under new coach Bruce Arians. Dray is often used as a blocking fullback but he has also become a reliable receiver. He caught only seven passes in his first three seasons but has 25 this season, including his first two NFL touchdowns.
Dray is unlikely to become a Pro Bowler, especially with the current glut of high octane talent at that position, but he has become a positive force for a team on the upswing under Arians, who loves the tight end's intelligence and reliability.
"As steady as they come," Arians said.
Dray hopes to prove both Harbaugh and Arians right Sunday when the Cardinals host the 49ers. Arizona, which upset the Seahawks in Seattle last week, has a shot at making the playoffs with a win accompanied by a loss by the New Orleans Saints to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dray's knee injury required two surgeries, and he credits the medical team at Stanford for helping him have a football career.
Dray knows how fleeting an NFL career can be. He still drives the truck he did in college, a Toyota Tundra with more than 100,000 miles on it.
"It's just doesn't seem like a wise investment at this point," he said of a new car.
