2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 85 Days Part II (McCall Ray)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The 2021 Countdown to Kickoff is well underway now. There are 85 days remaining until the Indiana Hoosiers are playing in Kinnick Stadium against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Eighty-five is a popular number and there are a pair of Hoosiers sporting those digits: Khameron Taylor and McCall Ray.

Name: McCall Ray

Hometown: Bedford, IN (Bedford North Lawrence)

Position: Wide Receiver

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

Height/Weight: 5’11”/192 pounds

McCall Ray was a high school star at Bedford North Lawrence High School. You could say he was a “star” in more ways than one, actually. He was a Star, the nickname for Bedford North Lawrence High School, and a star in both football and basketball as a four-year letter winner. To round out his athletic profile, he was a one-year letter winner in baseball. He was the quarterback and a cornerback for the football team and a starter for the basketball squad.

BNL is within shouting distance of Bloomington and McCall Ray had always dreamed of playing for the Hoosiers. His dream was realized before the 2019 season as he joined the program as a walk-on wide receiver. He stood out on the scout team by excelling on special teams, earning special teams player of the week for the UConn game.

“(Ray) came in here, a local guy from Bedford North Lawrence High School, really good athlete, works hard, does everything we ask him to do, gives tons of effort,” Tom Allen said of the walk-on in 2019.

He was the offensive scout team player of the week once and the special teams scout team player of the week on another occasion during the 2020 season. His consistent attitude and effort during the campaign earned him the walk-on special teams player of the year at the 2020 football awards, or LEO Awards, that were handed out in April.

“We make a big deal about that and have for several years now. We didn’t have a chance to do it last year because we got cut short, but that is why I call them LEO Awards because it is guys who truly don’t care who gets the credit because it is not about them,” Tom Allen said of nominees. “They are just working their tails off for this football team in the quietness of the months and months away from the season. But they are getting better and they are making this team better. Cam Jones, Devon Matthews, Davion Ervin-Poindexter, Bryson Bonds, Javon Swinton, AJ Barner, Chris Childers, McCall Ray. All those guys did a great really great job.”

There is a ton of talent and depth ahead of McCall Ray at wide receiver. But if he can continue to work as hard as he clearly is and excel at special teams, he could find himself in some games in the “third phase” of the contest.  

The countdown continues with a new profile each and every day so come back to hoosierhuddle.com daily!