NFL CAREER – Signed by the Saints after the 2018 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State, Gray enjoyed another productive campaign in 2023. Voted by his teammates as the club's special teams captain for the third consecutive season, Gray led the team with 11 special teams tackles in 14 games while adding one defensive stop. Playing in 81 career games, Gray has career totals of 67 special teams stops, one blocked punt, one special teams forced fumble, one coverage fumble recovery and 11 defensive tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pass defense. Since his first full season in 2019, Gray's 65 special teams tackles rank first in the NFC and second in the NFL and his 49 solo stops lead the NFL.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Agreed to terms on three-year contract extension, 3/10/23; Agreed to terms on two-year contract extension, 3/3/21; Signed to reserve/future contract, 1/21/19; Signed to practice squad, 11/15/18; Waived, 11/13/18; Signed by Saints as an undrafted free agent, 5/2/18.
HONORS – 2021: AP first-team All-Pro; PFWA All-NFL and All-NFC; Pro Bowl (starter); 2019: AP second-team All-Pro; PFWA All-NFC.
2023 – Appeared in 14 games, posting 11 special teams stops along with one defensive stop…Missed opener (shoulder) vs. Tennessee, Sept. 10…At Carolina, Sept. 18, made season debut, recording one special teams tackle…At Green Bay, Sept. 24, recorded two special teams tackles…Vs. Tampa Bay, Oct. 1, played at S and on special teams, finishing with one assisted defensive stop…At New England, Oct. 8, departed in third quarter with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the next two contests…At Indianapolis, Oct. 29, returned to action and recorded one special teams stop…At Atlanta, Nov. 26, played on special teams, finishing with two stops…Vs. Detroit, Dec. 3, played on special teams and had one defensive snap, recording a coverage stop…Vs. Carolina, Dec. 10, recorded two special teams stops…Vs. New York Giants, Dec. 17, recorded one special teams stop, bringing season total to 10. Reached double-digit special teams stops for fourth time in career and third consecutive season. Joined 49ers safety George Odum (2020-2023) as the second player with at least ten coverage stops each of the last three seasons…At L.A. Rams, Dec. 21, got his hands on a punt, which went for only eight yards…Vs. Atlanta, 1/7/24, finished with a special teams tackle. 2022 – Appeared in 14 games, posting 12 special teams stops to go with five defensive tackles (two solo) and 2.5 sacks…At Atlanta, Sept. 11, recorded two special teams tackles (one solo)…At Carolina, Sept. 25, played on defense and special teams, posting two tackles to tie a career-high, a split sack, a QB hit and a coverage stop…Vs. Minnesota (London), Oct. 2, made season-high three special teams tackles (two solo)…Vs. Seattle, Oct. 9, played on special teams and rotated at S, recording one solo tackle and a sack…vs. Las Vegas, Oct. 30, posted one assisted special teams tackle…At Pittsburgh, Nov. 13, recorded two special teams tackles (one solo)…Missed next three games (hamstring)…Vs. Atlanta, Dec. 18, recorded a solo special teams stop…At Philadelphia, 1/1/23, played on defense and special teams, tallying an assisted stop and an assisted coverage tackle. In the third quarter, flipped a punt before it reached the end zone, allowing linebacker Pete Werner to down ball at Eagles' four-yard line…Vs. Carolina, 1/8/23, played on both defense and on special teams, recording one sack for an eight-yard loss and a solo special teams tackle. 2021 – Played in 16 games and led National Football League with 19 special teams tackles (NFL-leading 16 solo) and added three defensive stops…Selected as an AP first-team All-Pro and as a Pro Bowl starter…In season-opening over Green Bay (game played in Jacksonville, Fla. due to Hurricane Ida), Sept. 12, played on both defense and special teams and finished the game with a career-high two tackles (one solo) and two coverage stops (one solo)…Finished with two special teams stops at Seattle, Oct. 25...Played on defense and special teams at Tennessee, Nov. 14, and had two coverage stops…Played on defense and special teams at Philadelphia, Nov. 21 and recorded a coverage stop…With a coverage stop vs. Buffalo, Nov. 25, recorded double-digit figures for second time in three seasons…Recorded two special teams tackles vs. Dallas, Dec. 2…Played in 50th career game at N.Y. Jets and recorded career-high four special teams tackles (three solo)…Finished with a special teams stop in Sunday Night win at Tampa Bay, Dec. 19…Missed Week 16 contest vs. Miami, Dec. 27, (COVID-19 protocols)…Returned in Week 17 and rotated at safety and on special teams vs. Carolina, 1/2/22, recording a solo tackle and a coverage stop…Finished with one special teams tackle in regular season finale at Atlanta, 1/9/22 to finish season with league-best and career-high 19 stops. 2020 – Played in all 16 regular season games and posted one defensive tackle, team-high seven coverage stops and a pass defense. Appeared in both postseason contests on special teams…Recorded a coverage stop at Las Vegas, Sept. 21…Recorded a special teams stop vs. Carolina, Oct. 25…Recorded one coverage tackle at Tampa Bay, Nov. 8…Recorded one special teams tackle vs. Atlanta, Nov. 22…Recorded his fifth special teams tackle of the season at Atlanta to win the field position battle for series sweep, Dec. 6…Recorded a season-high two special teams tackles, vs. Kansas City, Dec. 20…Played on defense and special teams, recording a solo tackle and his first career pass breakup in regular season finale at Carolina, 1/3/21. 2019 – Played in all 16 regular season games and posted team-high 16 special teams tackles, a blocked punt, one coverage fumble recovery and one defensive stop…AP second-team All-Pro and PFWA All-NFC selection…Notched three special teams tackles at Seattle, Sept. 22…Recorded blocked punt on Chicago's opening possession that resulted in a safety at Bears, Oct. 20…Recorded first career defensive solo tackle and a special teams stop vs. Atlanta, Nov. 10…Recorded one special teams stop at Tampa Bay, Nov. 17…Had a first quarter fumble recovery off a muffed punt that led to a touchdown at Carolina, Nov. 24…Recorded two special teams tackles (one solo) at Tennessee, Dec. 22…Posted two solo special teams stops in regular season finale at Carolina, Dec. 29…Played on special teams in the NFC Wild Card Playoff loss vs. Minnesota, 1/5/20. 2018 – Played in five regular season games, spending the remainder of season on the club's practice squad and finished with two special teams stops…Had one solo special teams tackle at Atlanta, Sept. 23.
COLLEGE – Played in 45 games with 17 starts for the Bulldogs from 2014-17 and collected 210 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight passes defensed and an interception…In 2017, ranked third on team in tackles (65) while playing MSU's S/LB hybrid…As a junior, ranked third on the team in tackles (71), playing in all 13 games at Viper and starting 10 contests…In 2015, played in all 13 games at linebacker and ranked fourth on the team in tackles (74) and added 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack…Industrial Technology major.
PERSONAL – Played junior season at Coolidge (Ariz.) HS, before transferring to Clarksdale (Miss.) HS for senior campaign...Grew up in the Magnolia State and came home for final high school season...Helped the Cougars to a 7-5 record as a senior as his team advanced to the second round of the Class 5A Mississippi state playoffs...A member of The Clarion-Ledger's Targeted 22...Took part in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic...Earned Arizona Division IV Section II first-team as a DB after junior season and second-team at RB in 2012...Played on both sides of ball as a senior and recorded 58 tackles. Offensively, rushed for 939 yards and 16 scores...As junior, tallied 60 carries for 914 yards and 15 scores and caught ten passes for 117 yards and a TD. Defensively, booked a team-leading 112 stops and two interceptions…Ran track for Coolidge and qualified for the state meet in 100-meter dash, 200-meter run, high jump and long jump…Participated in NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative to promote mental health awareness…In 2022, participated in a Hancock Whitney Play Football Experience with Chalmette Elementary Youth…In March, the Mississippi native, visited Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi to spend time with and show appreciation for military and their families for an Easter carnival…Collaborates with high school teammate, Packers OL Elgton Jenkins to host "Backyard Dawgz" Camp and seven-on-seven tournament for Clarksdale third-eighth graders…Juantavius Tavon Gray was born on Jan. 18, 1996 in Clarksdale, Miss.
