DIA Player of the Week: Lewis Gray, Navy
DIA Player of the Week: Lewis Gray, Navy
We're bringing back our Player of the Week and this week in top-level men's college rugby the Player of the Week is Navy inside back Lewis Gray.
Moved from flyhalf to inside center this season, Gray has been immense for the US Naval Academy. He has executed six 50-22 kicks to start with. He has scored 80 points in just four games, including four tries against Mount St. Mary's. Even in a low-scoring game like this past week's 18-3 win over Mary Washington, Gray led the team with 11 defenders beaten and notched a try. Overall he has scored 10 tries and 15 conversions.
"Obviously I'm a little biased, but the kid is incredible," said Navy Director of Rugby Gavin Hickie.
A fullback and wing in high school in Florida, Gray was playing flyhalf before being moved to inside center this season, with another Floridian, Landon Opp, putting on the #10 jersey.
"It's cool to have more space," Gray told GRR. "The way we're playing in our attack, we're playmaking at 10 and at 12. So my main goal is still to set up my teammates and find opportunities for them. It's been working out well."
Gray said Navy's start, 4-0 and outscoring opponents 240-15, is partly due to the backs being connected and working well together.
"Our biggest threat is we can move the ball quickly," Gray explained. But, he added, they had some trouble against UMW because they weren't giving themselves enough space and got drawn into "more of a one- or two-pass rugby. We're working on that."
As for Gray and his 10 tries, he takes little credit for that.
"It's definitely all coming from the work done before," he said. "I'm just finishing the job and we have everyone working to get us there. It's cool to finish the job, it's fun, but the whole team is doing the work."
A huge talent that could take his rugby to the next level, Gray, in his senior year, is thinking more about his goals in the military.
"Marine Corps pilot is my first choice," he said. "I would love to play more rugby, but my goals in the US Marine Corps come before anything else, and that's what I am focused on."
Player of the Week Lewis Gray.
