Danny McCray Offers Valuable Guidance to His Younger Teammates

Every Thursday night at a local Baton Rouge restaurant you will find members of LSU’s defensive backfield sharing a meal and enjoying each other’s company. These gatherings are organized by senior safety Danny McCray.

“He’ll tell us where we’re going to go eat and we’ll all just hang out,” said fellow strong safety Brandon Taylor.

“It is definitely a lot of fun,” said free safety Chad Jones. “We just eat a whole bunch of food and talk to each other about the previous game and what we are going to do. We bond as a unit.” 

McCray, a native of Houston, is a veteran of the secondary unit, having contributed each of the past three seasons at a variety of positions. He is a hybrid defensive back who has seen time at safety and cover corner, and he has even been used as a blitzing linebacker.

Now in his senior season at LSU, McCray leads the current Tigers in career tackles with 164, including 6.5 tackles for loss. 

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During his time with the Tigers, McCray has played under three different defensive coordinators, which has forced him to change his role on the field to fit the new defensive schemes.

In 2007 during LSU’s National Championship run, McCray had his best season statistically, playing in all 14 games and recording 64 tackles, three sacks and a pair of interceptions.  McCray said the highlight of his time at LSU was the BCS National Championship game against Ohio State in which he recorded three solo tackles.

“My favorite memory was holding up the ‘LSU No. 1’ newspaper after we won the National Championship,” he said.

In his junior season in 2008 under co-defensive coordinators Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto, McCray was a starter at nickel back in LSU’s nickel and dime packages. However, new defensive coordinator John Chavis’ defensive schemes have fewer nickel and dime packages and McCray has been forced to move back to his natural position at strong safety.

McCray, however, doesn’t mind. 

“I came to college to play safety and I’m playing safety right now,” McCray said. “I’m a lot more comfortable playing safety than a cover or nickel back.”

This switch in position has come with a price. McCray started eight games last season at nickel back for the Tigers, but this season he has had to battle for playing time with Taylor.

“I played a lot last year and this year I’m fighting for playing time,” McCray said. “Everything is better when you have to work for it, and I’m working for it.”

McCray has always been known as a hard worker on and off the field. He graduated high school with a 4.37 grade point average.  His dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed by the coaching staff or by his teammates.

“Danny is a real smart guy,” Jones said. “He works hard, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, and he can tackle. When I got here I was looking up to him.”

“He knows the playbook better than anyone out on the field,” Taylor explained.

As one of only two seniors in the Tigers’ defensive backfield, McCray helps out the younger players and gives them advice to improve their game.

“Danny is like a big brother to me,” said Taylor. “He will watch me out on the field, and if I mess up, he will help me out when I get to the sideline.”

“He definitely taught me,” said Jones. “I was always getting tips from him in coverage. I would always ask him what to look for and how to guard someone. He was a big role model for me.

“I personally think he is going to play in the NFL for a real long time. He is just that type of guy.”

McCray said that while he would like to play in the NFL, his main focus after his LSU football career ends is graduation.

“My main goal is to get my degree next summer,” McCray said. “I want to give football a try, and if that doesn’t work just try to make my way into the workforce and try and find a nice job somewhere.”

As McCray completes his time at LSU, he said he wants to be remembered for his hard work and dedication and looks forward to the second half of the season.

“I would love to be remembered as a hard worker who was dedicated to football,” McCray said. “As a playmaker on the field that was good in coaches’ and fans’ eyes. These are my last six or seven games so I’m going to approach it like that.

“These are my last ones so I’m going to go all out.”