Gardner native could become a Super Bowl champ again: Here's 5 things to know about him
Gardner's own Noah Gray, 24, may become a Super Bowl champion once again, as the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs faces the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Las Vegas. Here are five things to know about our hometown NFL player.
1. Gray was born in Laconia, New Hampshire, and raised in Gardner before going on to attend Leominster High, from which he graduated in 2017. Gray was a two-time T&G Super Team selection in football, making the all-star squad as a quarterback as a junior and as a receiver as a senior.
2. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Gray, who was ranked as the No. 70 athlete on espn.com as a senior, attended Duke University, where he was moved to tight end. He appeared in 48 of a possible 49 games over four seasons, was a second-team All-American as a junior when he caught 51 passes and a team captain as a senior.
3. Gray was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes midway through his freshman year at Duke, from which he graduated with a degree in political science and a certificate in markets and management after twice being named an academic All-ACC selection. He has used his position as a professional athlete to raise awareness and increase understanding of diabetes
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4. The Chiefs drafted Gray in the fifth round with 162nd overall pick in 2021. He was the 10th of 11 tight ends selected and the only one to have appeared in the playoffs in each of his first three seasons.
5. Gray has played in all 50 games since entering the NFL ‒ including a victory in Super Bowl LVII ‒ and been on the field for 52% of the offensive snaps the past two seasons. His 28 receptions for 305 yards, 2 touchdowns and 14 additional first downs this year are all career or career-high tying numbers.
Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray of Gardner headed to Super Bowl
