William Gay (cornerback) facts for kids
Gay with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007
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| Washington Commanders | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Assistant defensive backs coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 1, 1985 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | James S. Rickards (Tallahassee) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Louisville (2003–2006) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 5 / Pick: 170 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
William Gay (born January 1, 1985) is an American football coach and former player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Currently, he is an assistant coach for the Washington Commanders.
Gay played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Steelers chose him in the 2007 NFL draft. He helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII and also played for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. He started his coaching career in 2019.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
William Gay was born on January 1, 1985, in Tallahassee, Florida. He went to James S. Rickards High School in Tallahassee. There, he was a talented athlete, playing quarterback, wide receiver, and safety for his school's team.
During his junior year, he gained over 1,200 all-purpose yards and scored 12 touchdowns. In his senior year, he passed for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught passes for 1,237 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a defensive player, he made 82 tackles, broke up 14 passes, and caught nine interceptions. He was named co-MVP of his team.
Track and Field Achievements
Gay was also excellent in track & field. In 2002, he finished 8th in the 200-meter dash at the Capital City Classic. At another event, he placed 3rd in the long jump with a distance of 7.07 meters (about 23 feet, 2 inches). He was also very fast, running the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
College Football Career
William Gay played college football at the University of Louisville. He played in 46 games during his college career. He recorded a total of 134 tackles.
One notable moment happened in 2006 during a game against Rutgers. Gay was called for an offside penalty on a field goal attempt. This gave Rutgers a second chance to kick, which they made. This play led to Louisville's only loss of the season. It also ended their chance to play for a National Championship.
Professional Football Career
William Gay was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was the 170th player chosen overall.
First Time with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Starting His NFL Journey (2007)
On July 22, 2007, Gay signed a three-year contract with the Steelers. In his first preseason game, he showed his skills by intercepting a pass. He also made a tackle against a first-round draft pick.
He started his first season as the fifth cornerback on the team. He played his first regular season game against the Cleveland Browns. In that game, he made his first career tackle and deflected a pass. He played in all 16 games during his rookie year. He finished with 19 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
Becoming a Super Bowl Champion (2008)
In his second year, Gay played more often because of injuries to other cornerbacks. He helped the Steelers have a very strong defense. On November 16, 2008, he started his first NFL game against the San Diego Chargers. On December 14, 2008, he made his first career interception against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers finished the season with a 12-4 record. On January 18, 2009, Gay played in his first AFC Championship game. The Steelers won against the Ravens. On February 1, 2009, Gay played in his first Super Bowl. The Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27–23 to win Super Bowl XLIII. He finished the season with 41 tackles and an interception.
Taking on a Starting Role (2009)
After another player left the team, Gay became a starting cornerback for the 2009 season. He started his first season opener and recorded 4 tackles. He went on to start 14 regular season games that year. He finished the season with a career-high 78 tackles and 10 pass deflections.
Reaching Another Super Bowl (2010)
In 2010, Gay signed a one-year contract with the Steelers. He started playing more often later in the season. On January 23, 2011, he started his first playoff game. He scored a touchdown by returning a fumble 19 yards in a win against the New York Jets. On February 6, 2011, Gay started in his second Super Bowl. The Steelers lost Super Bowl XLV to the Green Bay Packers. He finished 2010 with 48 tackles and 2 sacks.
Strong Performance (2011)
In 2011, Gay signed another one-year contract. He started a career-high 15 games that year. He had one of his best games on December 5, 2011, against the Cleveland Browns. He made seven tackles, deflected three passes, and had an interception. He finished 2011 with 61 tackles and a career-high 13 pass deflections.
Time with the Arizona Cardinals (2012)
On March 24, 2012, Gay signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. This move reunited him with a former Steelers teammate who was now a coach for the Cardinals. He played his first game for the Cardinals on September 9, 2012. He had 7 tackles and forced a fumble. In his only year in Arizona, he had 57 tackles and 2 interceptions. He was released by the Cardinals in March 2013.
Second Time with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Returning to Pittsburgh (2013)
On March 4, 2013, Gay signed a new contract to return to the Steelers. In a game against the Buffalo Bills, he made a career-high 11 tackles. In a game against the Cleveland Browns, Gay scored his first touchdown by intercepting a pass and running it back.
Making Touchdowns (2014)
Gay became a starter again in 2014 after another player was injured. On October 26, 2014, he scored his second career touchdown by returning an interception 33 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. He also became known for his unique celebration dance.
On December 14, 2014, he scored his third interception touchdown of the season against the Falcons. This gave him the most interception touchdowns in the NFL that year. It was also the most in a single season for a Steelers player. He finished the season with 59 tackles, three interceptions, and three touchdowns.
Leading the Defense (2015)
After a longtime teammate retired, Gay became the Steelers' top cornerback for the 2015 season. On December 13, 2015, he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. This tied him with Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson for the most career interception touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started all 16 regular season games and finished with 58 tackles, two interceptions, and one touchdown.
Later Years with Steelers (2016-2017)
In 2016, Gay continued as a starting cornerback. Later in the season, he moved to a different role as other players emerged. He played in all 16 games, starting nine, and made 42 tackles. Experts gave him a high rating for his performance that year.
In 2017, Gay was a backup cornerback. In Week 2, he forced a fumble against the Minnesota Vikings. He was released by the Steelers on March 14, 2018.
New York Giants (2018)
On April 5, 2018, Gay signed with the New York Giants. However, he was released by the Giants on September 2, 2018.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2007 | PIT | 16 | 0 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | PIT | 16 | 4 | 41 | 33 | 8 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | PIT | 16 | 14 | 78 | 70 | 8 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | PIT | 16 | 4 | 48 | 40 | 8 | 2.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | PIT | 16 | 15 | 61 | 49 | 12 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | ARI | 16 | 15 | 57 | 45 | 12 | 1.0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | PIT | 16 | 11 | 63 | 55 | 8 | 1.0 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | PIT | 16 | 13 | 69 | 58 | 11 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 | 113 | 3 | 52 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 58 | 46 | 12 | 1.0 | 7 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | PIT | 16 | 9 | 58 | 42 | 16 | 1.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | PIT | 16 | 0 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 176 | 101 | 577 | 473 | 104 | 7.0 | 34 | 13 | 194 | 5 | 52 | 87 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2007 | PIT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | PIT | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | PIT | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| 2011 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | PIT | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | PIT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | 7 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 1 | ||
Coaching Career
In May 2023, William Gay was chosen for the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. This program allowed him to work with the Dallas Cowboys during their offseason. In February 2024, he was hired by the Washington Commanders. He now serves as an assistant coach for their defensive backs.
Personal Life and Advocacy
William Gay faced a very difficult time when he was eight years old. His mother passed away due to a family tragedy. His grandmother then stepped in to raise him and his siblings, keeping them together.
Gay has since shared his story to help others. He works to spread awareness about family violence. He made a video for the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh to support this important cause.
In 2017, Gay was honored by being inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2018, he became engaged to Natasha Hastings, an Olympic gold medalist sprinter.
