In 1993 Gray was one of the favourites to win a gold medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart as he had won the A-race at the prestigious meeting in Zurich.

[2] He ran his "professional" career for the Santa Monica Track Club, coached by Merle McGee.

Other older athletes who qualified were throwers, race walkers, marathoners and pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig.

A reporter later asked him what he would have done differently if he could run the race a second time, and it is rumored that he responded, "I would have taken it out harder."

This tactic also resulted in some devastating failures as in the 1987 and 1993 World Championships when he jogged to the finish of quarterfinal races, depleted and defeated.

SAC Relays Hall of Fame,[7] and obtained the key to the city for Santa Monica, Inglewood, Walnut, Agoura Hills and New York.

His foremost protege' was SMTC teammate Khadevis Robinson, who Gray coached to 5 National Championships.