NASHVILLE – Shane Ray worked, and he prayed.
A first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft who hasn't played a snap in the league since 2018, Ray had plenty of reasons to give up the dream, and move on.
But he refused to do so.
So, when the Titans called Ray's agent back in May and offered the edge rusher a tryout during the team's rookie minicamp, the 31-year-old Ray jumped at the chance. Ray was on a tryout list with a bunch of players in their early 20s who'd just been passed over in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"There's levels of pride that have to escape your body," Ray said with a smile. "I joke with a lot of the young guys, and I tell them: I feel like an old rookie."
The Titans didn't immediately add Ray after that tryout.
In fact, he had to keep waiting, and working.
Then last week, the team signed Ray at the start of training camp, opening the door for another opportunity to prove himself, and stick.
And Ray is thankful.
"For me, it's been one step at a time," Ray said on Wednesday. "Training, training, training, and talking to my agent, praying to God: Is there something? Is there something available? Does somebody want to bring me in? Is there an opportunity? Those moments were highs and lows because sometimes it was like, 'Hey, we might have something,' and other times like, 'Hey, man, we got to go train for another five, six weeks.'
"So, for me, the call itself was amazing. Then, walking to the building was amazing, meeting the coaches was amazing, and having my first minicamp workout back was amazing. Every step that I've taken up to this point is another milestone that, for a long time, I just dreamed about it, and prayed about it, and worked for.
"This opportunity, I have been preparing for this for a long, long, time."
Selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft after earning All-America honors at Missouri, Ray has played in 49 career NFL games, with 15 starts. He's tallied 14 career sacks, including eight in 2016 while playing in 16 games. He was a Super Bowl champion in Denver in 2016.
Injuries derailed Ray's career, however.
In past offseasons, Ray was signed by the Ravens (2019) and Bills (2023) after long waits without a team, but was released both times.
In between, Ray played for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.
He's spent most of the past five years working out, hoping for another opportunity in the NFL. He went to the gym every morning, where he was running and lifting, and working on his hands in pass rush drills.
"I put myself in a routine and a schedule, training like I was in the NFL, even though I wasn't at the time," Ray said. "That was my life for four years straight. This opportunity, I have been preparing for this for a long, long, time."
In his first week on the job, Ray has looked like a roster contender, flashing with rushes.
Each day, he said he's feeling more like himself.
With the Titans, Ray has an opportunity as the team looks for help behind Harold Landry, Arden Key and Rashad Weaver, competing with hungry youngsters like Jaylen Harrell, Caleb Murphy and others. Earlier this week, Titans Coach Brian Callahan acknowledged the team is awaiting word from the league about a potential suspension for Key to start the season.
Ray is hungry, too.
He's just a different man now, in his 30s, with a 5-year-old daughter, and something to prove.
"When I came into the league, I came in with all the (high expectations), and now coming back it is really just on me working, and building," Ray said. "It feels good to earn what I am getting. But my life is completely different now.
"I love this game. Unfortunately, I got banged up early when I felt like it was time for me to take it to the next level in my career, and it kept me out of the league for a long time. Now I have another chance, and I feel like I am ready. I've worked, and I've prepared. Now it is on me, and I want to show what I can do."
