Ray Bentley facts for kids
| Position: | Linebacker |
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| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 25, 1960 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Hudsonville (MI) |
| College: | Central Michigan |
| Undrafted: | 1983 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 17–21–0 (.447) |
| Postseason: | 0–2–0 (.000) |
| Career: | 17–23–0 (.425) |
Ray Russell Bentley was born on November 25, 1960. He is an American sports broadcaster, an author, and a former professional football player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Before turning pro, he played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas.
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Ray Bentley's Football Journey
Playing Professional Football
Ray Bentley started his professional football career in the United States Football League (USFL). He played for the Michigan Panthers from 1983 to 1984. After that, he joined the Oakland Invaders in 1985.
Later, Ray moved to the National Football League (NFL). He played six seasons with the Buffalo Bills. This included their first two Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s. His playing career ended with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1992. During that season, he made a team record. He scored a touchdown by returning a fumble 75 yards, which was the longest in the team's history at that time.
Life as a Sports Broadcaster
After his playing days, Ray Bentley became a sports broadcaster. From 1997 to 2001, he worked for NFL on Fox. He provided both color commentary (explaining plays) and play-by-play (describing the action).
He then took on a new challenge. He became the head coach and general manager for the Arena Football League team, the Buffalo Destroyers. He held these roles for two years.
From 2003 to 2006, Ray was a color commentator for NBC's Arena Football League coverage. He worked alongside Bob Papa. Since 2003, he has also been a commentator for ESPN. From 2007 to 2014, Ray returned to the Buffalo Bills. He was the play-by-play announcer for their preseason television games.
Ray also coached high school football. In 2012, he was the linebacker coach for the Grandville Bulldogs. As of July 2025, Ray is the defensive coordinator for the Byron Center Bulldogs high school team.
Ray Bentley, the Author
Besides his work in football and broadcasting, Ray Bentley is also an author. He has written a series of children's books. These books feature a fun character named Darby the Dinosaur.
