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Sports TwitterInjury-plagued NFL career helped Miami coach learn the game
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
OXFORD — Two of the best things that ever happened to Jay Graham, and one of the worst, all crowded in on him on Nov. 16, 1997.
Oh yes: He made his first NFL start at tailback for the Baltimore Ravens and rushed for 154 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Oh no: Graham suffered the first in a series of injuries to his ankle and knee which would limit his NFL career to 454 rushing yards over six seasons.
Oh yes: The injury started a series of events which eventually opened up a new career for Graham and brought him to Oxford as Miami University's first-year running backs coach.
"I was on injured reserve three of my first four years in the NFL," Graham said following practice at Yager Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 12. "It was a difficult time for me, but a great time to learn the game.
"In my third year," Graham said, "Matt Simon, my running backs coach with the Ravens, handed me a clipboard and said, 'Write down things you see from the sidelines.' I started asking questions and began to enjoy it. That's when I realized that when I got done playing, I wanted to coach."
Graham, 33, came to Miami following coaching stints at Tennessee (graduate assistant), Tennessee-Chattanooga, San Diego and Tennessee-Martin.
Football fans in Ohio are more likely to remember Graham from his playing days with the Volunteers and particularly his 69-yard touchdown run in the 1996 Citrus Bowl when Tennessee, led by quarterback Peyton Manning, beat Ohio State 21-14.
"I always wanted to be a tailback," said Graham, who was raised in Concord, N.C. "I got the opportunity as a freshman in high school. I started out on the fourth team."
He went on to become a high school All-American and as a Volunteer amassed 2,609 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns from 1993-96.
The transition from player to coach was not easy, Graham said.
"It was a different side of football, understanding so many variables getting to game day," he said. "Game day is probably the easiest part. Recruiting, and the mental part of the game — you have to wear so many hats. These young men have so many things to deal with in addition to playing football, a lot to deal with emotionally. You have to realize they're students and people first."
He said one factor in his decision to continue his career in Oxford was Miami's tradition.
"If you're a college football fan," he said, "you know about Miami."
Graham and his wife, Kelly, have two daughters (Nia and Denae) and a son (Jayson).
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
