Humble and stubbornDespite all his running and scoring in high school – he needs 1,921 to catch national and Texas career rushing leader Hall – Gray has indeed remained humble. After touchdowns he tosses the ball to the referee and finds linemen to bear-hug.
"He's a great teammate – a great one," Buchanan said. "There's been many games team stack nine in the box and dare us to pass. We'll throw for 300 or 400 yards and he'll get minimal carries and he's just as excited in victory as he would be with 300 rushing yards."
Johnathan Gray is committed to the
University of Texas.
Photo by Jim Redman
His character and humility were instilled by his dad and mom Tonya, who according to Buchanan, rules the house with an iron fist.
"James acts likes he does, but she runs the show," Buchanan said with a grin.
Said Johnathan: "She keeps my dad and I under control."
An only child, Johnathan praised both his parents and credits them for all his success.
His dad, Texas Tech's career rushing leading and a fifth-round pick of the Patriots in 1990, said his son is better than him as a prep, though he wasn't sure Johnathan would be a running back.
"He persevered and progressed over time to get to this point," James said. "But that's how he's done everything his whole life, whether it was riding a bike or skating, he never wanted any help. He'd fall down and always get up. He's stubborn and he has great, great willpower. It takes a lot to defeat him."
Like Buchanan, James' proudest moments tend to be off the field.
"When I have people tell me about his character or that I have a great son, that makes me happiest," James said. "I've tried to teach him that the game someday goes away but the legacy you leave is what kind of person you are."
{VIDEO_ff75e70e-bd6b-43c3-8555-4557408f219c,floatRightWithBar}James got a good sense of that Christmas Eve a few years back when he and his son approached a homeless man seeking change at a red light.
"I started to reach in my pocket for a dollar to give to Johnathan to give to the man," James said. "Johnathan already pulled out a five-dollar bill and handed it to him.
"I wanted to cry because you wonder if all those things you try to teach connect. It hit me then that my son really got it."
And in all regards, touchdowns included, he's giving it all back.
Gray by the numbers2008: 140 carries, 981 yards, 15 touchdowns
2009: 372 carries, 2,798 yds, 50 touchdowns
2010: 351 carries, 3,221 yds, 59 touchdowns
* 2011: 180 carries, 2,302 yds, 44 touchdowns Total: 1043 carries, 8,302 yds, 168 touchdowns
* - Through nine games.
Gray by Texas* 59 rushing TDs is state single-season record
* 183 career total touchdowns is ongoing state record
* Two seasons with 50 or more rushing TDs is state record
* 8,302 yards is 2nd on state career list
* 3,221 yards is 13th best single-season
* Needs 1,921 rushing yards to catch national and Texas career rushing leader Ken Hall. If Aledo reaches the state finals, he'll need to average 320 yards per game to catch Hall.
* His 1,100 career points is state record, well ahead of Hall's 899.
