L. J. McCray facts for kids
McCray with the San Francisco 49ers in 2014
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| No. 21, 31 | |||
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| Position: | Safety | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | June 18, 1991 Georgetown, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Harding University (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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| College: | Catawba | ||
| Undrafted: | 2014 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| CFL status: | American | ||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
James Oneil "L. J." McCray II (born June 18, 1991) is a former American football player. He played as a safety. A safety is a defensive player who helps stop long passes and tackles players who break through the defense. L. J. McCray played college football at Catawba College. He also went to Harding University High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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College Football Career
L. J. McCray played college football for the Catawba Indians. He was part of the team from 2009 to 2013. In 2011, he took a year off from playing due to an injury. This is called being "redshirted."
When he returned, he played very well. In 2012, he was chosen for the first-team All-South Atlantic Conference. This means he was one of the best players in his college football league. In his final year, 2013, he made 78 tackles. He also had 2 sacks and broke up 8 passes.
Professional Football Career
After college, L. J. McCray started his professional football journey. He played for several teams in both the NFL and the CFL.
Playing for the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers signed McCray on May 10, 2014. This happened after the 2014 NFL draft, where he was not chosen by any team. He made his first NFL game appearance on September 7, 2014. This game was against the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2016, McCray was briefly traded to the Seattle Seahawks. However, the trade did not go through. This was because he did not pass his physical examination with the Seahawks. After this, the 49ers let him go on September 5, 2016.
Time with the Carolina Panthers
On January 5, 2017, McCray signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers. This type of contract is called a "reserve/future contract." It means he would join the team for the next season.
However, he was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2017. This means he could not play because of an injury. A few days later, on September 11, 2017, he left the team. He received an "injury settlement," which is a payment for his injury.
Joining the Buffalo Bills
McCray then signed with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad on October 17, 2017. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the main team. They can be called up to play if needed. He was released from the practice squad in January 2018.
He signed another reserve/future contract with the Bills on January 10, 2018. But on August 28, 2018, the Bills released him again.
Playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
L. J. McCray later moved to the CFL. He signed a contract extension with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on January 18, 2021. On July 3, 2021, he was placed on the team's suspended list. This means he was temporarily removed from the active roster.
Images for kids
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L. J. McCray with the San Francisco 49ers in 2014
