Former NFL star Ray Seals, who was best known for his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, has died at 59. No cause of death was immediately known.
Seals is one of the last NFL players to never play college football. Most prominently with that distinction as well is Antonio Gates, alongside current players Jordan Mailata and Brandon Aubrey.
Seals played high school football at Henninger in Syracuse, New York and took a few years off from football before getting back on the gridiron.
In 1986, he played for the Empire Football League’s Syracuse Express, which led to NFL attention.
Seals played for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before, splitting one year with the Lions and Colts.
Seals then returned to the Buccaneers for two more seasons, then two more with the Steelers before finishing his professional career with the Bengals and Panthers.
Former NFL star Ray Seals, best known for his time with the Buccaneers and Steelers has died
Seals is one of the last NFLers to never play college football, having gone the semi-pro route
Seals may also be remembered for batting a Brett Favre pass back to the quarterback, which counted as his first ever completion in the NFL.
Over social media, family member Tiffany Seals shared the news of Ray’s passing.
‘As many of you already know… it’s with a heavy heart to share the passing of our beloved brother Raymond B. Seals,’ Tiffany said. ‘Words can’t express the pain of losing such a staple in our family.’
‘To the world, he may have been known as (Big Play Ray)… for his strength on the football field, an NFL player with passion, determination, and heart. But to us, he was so much more. A father, a son, a brother a nephew, a cousin, a friend.’
‘His presence filled every room. Losing him leaves a silence that speaks volumes, but his legacy will forever speak through the memories and the lives he touched.’
‘Please keep our family and especially his children lifted as we try to navigate this deep and extremely painful loss. Rest well, #BigPlayRay, you will always be loved, and never forgotten.’