Ray Mickens facts for kids

Ray Mickens, born on January 4, 1973, is a former professional American football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Ray was a top college player at Texas A&M University. He played for teams like the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and New England Patriots. After his football career, Ray Mickens started a business with his brother, Leonard Mickens.

Early Life and College Football

Ray Mickens grew up in El Paso, Texas. He went to Andress High School. There, he was a very good running back in football. He helped his high school team win a big championship game.

After high school, Ray went to Texas A&M University. He played football and also ran track as a sprinter. He became one of the best defensive players in college football. Ray earned special honors like All-American in his junior and senior years. He was also an All-Southwest Conference player.

In his senior year, Ray caught four passes from opponents. He also stopped three other passes from being completed. Even though he was not very tall, he was good at stopping players who ran with the ball. He made 59 tackles that year. Ray was also one of the best at returning punts. In his last college game, he helped his team win the Alamo Bowl. He was great at stopping the other team's best receivers. Overall, he made 162 tackles and caught 9 interceptions for Texas A&M. He started the last 34 games of his college career.

NFL Career

The New York Jets chose Ray Mickens in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft. He played for the Jets from 1996 to 2004. Ray was known as a strong player who rarely missed games. In his first eight seasons, he only missed two games. However, he missed the 2004 NFL season because of a knee injury.

Ray became known as a top "nickel back" in the NFL. This means he was a key player in certain defensive plays. He also showed he could be a very good starter. In his first eight seasons, he played in 126 games. He started 36 of those games. During this time, he made 365 tackles and defended 79 passes. He also caught 11 interceptions and forced four fumbles.

After leaving the Jets, Ray signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2005. He played in all 16 games for them that year. He made 33 tackles and defended 16 passes. In 2006, he signed with the Jets again for a short time. Later that year, he joined the New England Patriots in December. He played an important role in their journey to the division championship game. Ray Mickens became a free agent in March 2007, ending his professional playing career.

Personal Life

Ray Mickens has a brother named Fred Williams. Fred also played professional football for the Houston Oilers in 1993.

In 1999, Ray Mickens won the Madden Bowl. This is a video game tournament for NFL players.

Ray's son, R.J. Mickens, also plays college football. He is a safety for the Clemson Tigers.