THE MAGAZINE OF FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY spring 2013

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AthleticsRicky Gray’s Journey fromMilitary to GolfBy Dave Sweet ’15, Athletics Student Feature WriterFor many students, a college education is an expectedsteppingstone in life, with the expectation of going to college atage 18, or else facing an unfulfilled life plagued by mediocrity! Formen’s golf’s Ricky Gray, the path to a university education wasnot so simple.“I didn’t care too much for high school,” said Gray, a senior fromJaffrey, N.H. “I never really studied, never tried too hard on myschoolwork. I knew at that point that I still had a lot to learn, andcollege wasn’t for me. So I joined the military.”Gray enlisted in the army straight out of high school, at whichpoint he was sent to Washington, D.C. to serve as a member ofthe Honor Guard. The experience, Gray emphasized, taught hima greater sense of appreciation.“You’re constantly following someone else’s schedule,” he said. “Soyou have to quickly learn to discipline yourself, or you won’t makeit. It makes you realize how good we have our lives, especiallythe small things that we take for granted every day. I rememberthe first day they took everything away from us: personal items,electronics, any source of communication. I remember thatsomething as little as receiving a letter became a huge source ofmotivation for me, which is different compared to a world wherepeople communicate instantly.”Two years into his service, Gray got into a serious car accidentand suffered a traumatic brain injury. He rehabbed at WalterReed Medical Center in Virginia for nine months. It was duringthis time that he began to take lessons from a pro in the area, JimEstes, who offered free lessons to veterans as part of the Salute toMilitary Golf Association. Up until that point, Gray had nevertouched a golf club.“The first four or five months I started playing, I probably playedmore golf than most people play in a year and a half. I would go tothe range and practice every single day,” Gray said.After a year working as a correctional officer, Gray decided he hadchanged his mind about college. Knowing the military could payfor his education, he applied to Franklin Pierce and joined the golfteam. Through three seasons with the team, he has produced threetop-20 finishes, and this past season as a member of the regularrotation, he averaged a score of 81.4. Currently in the processof applying to graduate schools, Gray hopes to put his degree inpsychology to use once he has completed his education.“I’d really like to work with veterans,” he said, “and help them outwith their adjustment back to civilian life. I’ve been there. I knowwhat it’s like to have a traumatic injury and then get forced backout into the world. I want to help those people.” Ironically enough,Ricky Gray has found that the education he once loathed may behis biggest asset – that, and the discipline instilled in him by theUnited States Army.“It really is strange to think about it. Ten years ago – even five yearsago – I never would have imagined I’d be where I am today,” Grayreflected. “There are a lot of people and a lot of places I couldthank for that, but it would be too soon. I’m still not finished.”32 Franklin Pierce University spring 2013spring 2013
Photo by Richard Orr
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THE MAGAZINE OF FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY spring 2013

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