Gray attended Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he was teammates with future NFL players Lawrence Taylor and Ron Springs.
In his freshman season, he was part of a backfield that helped lead the team to an 11–0 record and a #2 ranking in the NJCAA poll.
He shared the backfield with future Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Pro Bowler Mike Rozier.
[9] He made an immediate impression on the staff and the previous season's top 2 tailbacks were moved to other positions to accommodate for Gray becoming the feature back.
Gray was selected by the Chicago Blitz in the 7th round (133rd overall) of the 1984 USFL Draft and immediately moved from tailback to wide receiver.
The Lions were in contention for the NFC Central title each season during the early 1990s—teams that featured the running back Barry Sanders.
Gray was a four-time Pro Bowl selection in Detroit (1991–93, 1995), and he was named All-Pro by numerous publications in each season from 1990 to 1994.
When he left the game in 1997, after 12 seasons in pro football, Gray was atop several all-time NFL kick return lists.