The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed a Super Bowl and Grey Cup winner.
The Green and White have signed American defensive lineman Shane Ray – a 6’3″, 255-pounder who spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Toronto, winning the Grey Cup in 2022 alongside present-day Riders’ head coach Corey Mace, who was the Argonauts’ defensive co-ordinator at the time. The 31-year-old Kansas City product was a first-round pick in the 2015 N-F-L Draft out of the University of Missouri and played in 14 games in his rookie season while helping Denver win Super Bowl 50. Following is the news release from the Roughriders…..
DATE: January 27, 2024
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATELY
RELEASE: SR25-015
RIDERS SIGN SUPERBOWL AND GREY CUP WINNING DEFENSIVE LINEMAN SHANE RAY
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive lineman Shane Ray.
Ray (6’3-255) returns to the Canadian Football League after two seasons in the NFL, spending time with the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and 2024. It was Ray’s second NFL opportunity, after he was initially selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round, 23rd overall of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Ray won Super Bowl 50 in 2016 as a rookie member of the Broncos, registering two tackles and a forced fumble in the 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Kansas City, Missouri native played 49 games, making 15 starts, as a Bronco over four seasons (2015-2018). He earned 94 tackles, including 15 tackles for loss, and 33 quarterback hits, while also tallying 14 sacks, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 18 yards for a touchdown. Ray signed with the Baltimore Ravens in spring of 2019 but was released at the end of training camp.
The 31-year-old signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021, spending three seasons (2021-23) with the Club. He dressed for ten games over his first two seasons registering 17 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles. He is a 2022 Grey Cup Champion.
Collegiately, Ray played 40 games over three seasons (2013-15) for the University of Missouri, tallying 120 tackles, 19 sacks, 35 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and one forced fumble he returned 73 yards for a touchdown. In his junior year at Mizzou, he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American selection before he declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.
