One of our Football members on the 'Memories of Texas Football' Facebook page said that Ben Gay passed away, but I couldnt find it anywhere, anyone know about Ben?

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lay-benjamin-gay-to-rest?fbclid=IwY2xjawEZJT9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQ0N7GDQwXEHB95wzURJDKWd6PJz3h-bNyXfXPTzzGadXppaIS_3F3pyUA_aem_86pNgptm8ojj52WntHg-bA

Confirmed https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/benjamin-gay-obituary?id=55748458

Any word on how he passed? I worked with the athletic department as a GA when he was there. I remember him being a big time recruit, but never panned out. Granted our team was pretty bad during his time.

I went to high school with Ben, played football (and others sports) with him, and have stayed friends with him since and can 100% confirm this is true.

He was involved in a car accident and passed.

He was a great athlete and finally had gotten his life together but by then had wasted any chances of playing football but he was still a good person. All the talk of what might have been, why he never lasted anywhere (and I probably have more insights then most of what really happened at each stop and "wasted talent" talk is for another thread at a different time.

At this time I just ask for everyone's prayers for his family and children.

Sad

Prayers for him and his family

I was a Browns fan long before I became a Baylor Bear. Though his time with Cleveland was brief, he was one of the lone bright spots for that franchise during my childhood. Prayers to his family.

I knew Ben when we were both at Baylor. He was a nice guy. I used to hoop with him, and against him at the old school Mars Mclean gym.
Very sad news.

Sorry for your loss, really sad to hear. I always remember him having the biggest smile walking around the practice facilities.

The way I remember Ben Gay coming to Baylor (may be right or wrong). He came in under the old Prop 48 where each school could bring in a kid that didnt make the best grades. Originally we were going to bring in Rock Cartwright. However Ben Gay became available and we went with him. He didnt do much with the Bears, I dont remember the specifics. However Rock Cartwright went to K-State and became a badarse. Played in the NFL for several years.

Assassin said:

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The way I remember Ben Gay coming to Baylor (may be right or wrong). He came in under the old Prop 48 where each school could bring in a kid that didnt make the best grades. Originally we were going to bring in Rock Cartwright. However Ben Gay became available and we went with him. He didnt do much with the Bears, I dont remember the specifics. However Rock Cartwright went to K-State and became a badarse. Played in the NFL for several years.

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Yes Ben came in essentially on "probation" due to not qualifying grade wise and was not able to play as a freshmen, although I am sure he would have.

Both guys were great HS players but on paper at the time Ben was more highly rated so you can't blame a team for passing on someone else. At the time everyone thought Ben would be the NFL guy at Rock might be.

There are a whole list of reasons why Ben didn't last at Baylor (or anywhere else he went) but that is for another thread at another time if people want specifics.

Ben Gay was one of the many bigtime Baylor recruits I remember reading about after the fact, so surprised that Baylor had been able to pull in recruits ranked high back then.

According to Tom Lemming, he was the #2 ranked tailback in the 1998 recruiting class behind Justin Fargas of USC. (There's also a wingback category with Deshaun Foster #1 and Eddie Drummond #2).

I'm not sure if he ever played for Baylor. I think possibly he got kicked off the team, but ended up playing for the Browns.

Another notable blue chip from that class:
Brandon Jones (#9 ranked dual threat QB). Did he ever play for Baylor? Dude was ranked 2 spots higher than Michael Vick.

Sat out freshman year under Roberts .

When Roberts got fired... Steele kicked him off for repeated rules violations..

You can google his name. There are several 'What happened to ..' articles out there..

One coach said he was a better athlete than Bo Jackson..

Giants GM George Young said he was the only guy he ever saw that could have gone straight from high school to NFL ...