Chris Gragg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Gragg

Gragg with the Buffalo Bills in 2015
No. 89
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(1990-06-30) June 30, 1990 (age 35) Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	244 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:	Warren (Warren, Arkansas)
College:	Arkansas
NFL Draft:	2013 / Round: 7 / Pick: 222
Career history
As player:
Buffalo Bills (2013–2016) New York Jets (2017)*
As coach:
Memphis (GA/WR) (2020)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 24 Receiving yards: 251 Receiving touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

Christopher Le'Edward Gragg (born June 30, 1990) is a former American football player. He played as a tight end for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. Gragg was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Bills chose him in the 2013 NFL draft.

Gragg started playing football as a wide receiver at Warren High School. After his first year at the University of Arkansas, he changed to playing tight end. During his second and third years with the Razorbacks, his team played in important Bowl Championship Series games. They even beat the Kansas State Wildcats in the 2012 Cotton Bowl Classic.

In his final year, a knee injury made Gragg miss many games. Arkansas ended that season with more losses than wins. Gragg later took part in the NFL Scouting Combine. This is a special event where future NFL players show off their skills. Gragg performed very well in several tests for tight ends. Because of his strong performance, the Bills picked him as the 222nd player in the 2013 NFL draft.

Gragg played his first NFL game for Buffalo on October 13, 2013. He played in nine games that year. In 2014, he played in ten games, and in 2015, he played in thirteen games. He missed the entire 2016 season because of an injury. In 2017, he signed with the New York Jets. However, he did not play any regular-season games for them due to another injury before the season started. Gragg announced his retirement from the NFL in December 2019. In 2020, he worked as an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers football team.

Early Life and High School Football

Christopher Le'Edward Gragg was born on June 30, 1990. His hometown is Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His parents, Tenita and Kelvin Gragg, both worked as teachers. Kelvin Gragg coached the football team at Warren High School. Chris was the team's water boy when he was younger.

Gragg played football as a wide receiver for Warren High School. He played alongside other future NFL players like Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. In his senior year, Gragg caught passes for 420 yards. He also scored 8 touchdowns.

Football recruiting websites rated Gragg as a good player. Rivals.com gave him a 2-star rating. They said he was the 15th best player at his position in Arkansas. Scout.com ranked him as the 148th best receiver in the country. In July 2007, Gragg decided to play for the University of Arkansas. Three other players from Warren High also chose to go to Arkansas.

College Football Career

First Years at Arkansas

In his first year, Gragg played in all twelve games for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The team finished with a record of 5 wins and 7 losses. In the second game, against the Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks, Gragg made an important catch. He caught a 25-yard pass on fourth down. This play helped his team score the game-winning touchdown. This was Gragg's only reception in 2008.

In the spring of 2009, Gragg changed his position. He moved from wide receiver to tight end. He was listed as the third-string tight end for the Razorbacks. He did not play during the 2009 season. This was because he dislocated his ankle in a practice before the season started. He was given a medical redshirt, which means he could play an extra year later.

Playing as a Tight End

In September 2010, Gragg was still the third-string tight end. When Arkansas played the Georgia Bulldogs on September 18, 2010, Gragg caught a touchdown. It was a 57-yard pass, his first catch of the year. The 2010 Arkansas Razorbacks finished the year with 10 wins and 3 losses. They were invited to play in the Sugar Bowl. Arkansas lost that game to the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 31–26. Gragg made one catch for 16 yards in the Sugar Bowl. He ended the 2010 season with 8 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

Gragg playing for Arkansas in 2012

Before the 2011 season, Gragg became the main tight end. He took over from D. J. Williams, who had finished college. In the eleventh game of the season, Gragg had his best game yet. He caught 8 passes for 119 yards. Arkansas beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs and had a 10–1 record.

After that game, Arkansas was ranked as the third-best team in the nation. This ranking came from the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system. They were behind the Louisiana State University Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Arkansas lost to the Tigers on November 25. This meant they could no longer play for the national championship.

Arkansas finished the year ranked sixth in the BCS standings. They were invited to play in the 2012 Cotton Bowl Classic. They beat the Kansas State Wildcats 29–16. This win tied a team record for the most wins in a season. During the 2011 season, Gragg caught 41 passes. This was the third-highest on the team. He gained 518 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Senior Year and NFL Combine

In July 2012, Gragg was nominated for the John Mackey Award. This award goes to the best tight end in college football each year. He was also voted to the second team of the Coaches Preseason All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) squad. This means he was considered one of the second-best players in the SEC. ESPN writers Edward Aschoff and Chris Low even ranked Gragg as the best tight end in the conference.

In Arkansas' first game of the 2012 season, Gragg had a great performance. He caught 7 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. For this, he won the John Mackey Tight End of the Week award. On September 9, Gragg hurt his knee against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This injury made him miss the next three games. When he came back, he hurt his knee again. This meant he missed the rest of the season.

Gragg finished his last year at Arkansas with 22 catches for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The team ended the season with a 4–8 record. After his senior year, Gragg went to the NFL Scouting Combine. He performed very well there. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash among tight ends. He also had the third-fastest 3 cone drill. He made the longest broad jump and the highest vertical jump among all tight ends at the event.

Professional Football Career

Buffalo Bills (2013–2016)

The Buffalo Bills chose Gragg in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was the 222nd player picked overall. The Bills got this pick from a trade with the St. Louis Rams. Gragg signed a contract with the Bills in May 2013. During practices before the season, Gragg was one of five tight ends on the Buffalo team.

The NFL requires teams to cut their roster to 53 players by August 31. Gragg made the team. In September 2013, an ESPN writer said Gragg was "the most athletic tight end" on the Bills. Gragg played his first regular-season NFL game on October 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Four games later, he caught his first NFL pass and scored his first touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On December 8, Gragg started a game for the first time. This was when Buffalo played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. By the end of 2013, Gragg had 5 catches for 53 yards and one touchdown. He played in nine games. The Bills finished last in their division, the AFC East, with 6 wins and 10 losses.

Before the 2014 training camp, some thought Gragg might not make the team. This was because the Bills had other tight ends like Tony Moeaki, Scott Chandler, and Lee Smith. But Gragg did make Buffalo's 53-man roster.

In a game against the Detroit Lions on October 5, Gragg caught a touchdown pass. This play, along with a two-point conversion, tied the game. Buffalo then won the game 17–14. This brought their record to 3 wins and 2 losses. On November 24, Gragg hurt his right knee in a game against the New York Jets. This injury made him miss the rest of the 2014 season.

In 2014, Gragg played in ten games. He had 7 catches for 48 yards and one touchdown. The Bills finished with 9 wins and 7 losses. They were second in the AFC East. Gragg had surgery on his knee in January 2015.

In the 2015 preseason, Gragg had 8 catches for 128 yards and one touchdown. During the 2015 regular season, Gragg played in 13 games. This was his most games in a season. He also had career highs with 12 catches and 150 receiving yards. The Bills finished 8–8 and did not make the playoffs. His 150 receiving yards and 12 catches were the second most among Bills tight ends.

In an August 2016 preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, Gragg blocked a punt. This led to a safety for his team. He then scored a touchdown on a 19-yard pass. A writer for Profootballtalk.com said Gragg had been a "valuable utility man" for the Bills. On August 26, 2016, Gragg suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game. This injury made him miss the entire 2016 season.

Later Career (2017–2019)

Gragg became a free agent in March 2017. This means he could sign with any team. He visited the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 15, but he did not sign with them. On July 28, 2017, Gragg signed with the Jets. The Jets made room for him by letting go of wide receiver K. D. Cannon.

In a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Gragg hurt his ankle. He was placed on the Jets' injured reserve list on September 1, 2017. This meant he could not play for the season. In four preseason games with the Jets, Gragg had 6 catches for 64 yards. He did not score any touchdowns. He did not play in any regular-season games for the Jets.

In March 2019, Gragg worked out for the San Francisco 49ers. However, he did not sign with that team either.

Life After the NFL

Chris Gragg announced on his Twitter account that he had retired from the NFL in December 2019. In 2020, Gragg started working as a coach. He was a graduate assistant coach for wide receivers with the Memphis Tigers football team.

Chris Gragg has a brother named Will. Will also played college football as a tight end. He played for Arkansas and for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Chris Gragg earned a degree in sports management from the University of Arkansas.