Football
- Title:
- Running Backs
- Alma Mater:
- Tennessee '04
- Instagram:
Former All-SEC and NFL running back Jay Graham is in his second season as the running backs coach at Texas A&M.
Graham came to Texas A&M after serving five seasons on Jimbo Fisher's Florida State coaching staff and was instrumental in the Seminoles' 2013 BCS National Championship and two Atlantic Coast Conference titles in that span. Graham served as FSU's running backs coach in 2013 and then directed the Seminoles' running backs and special teams from 2014-17.
In his one season in College Station, Graham coached Trayveon Williams into the record books as the junior bested A&M's all-time marks in single season all-purpose yards (2,038) and rushing yards (1,760). Williams' all-purpose yardage mark was the third most in SEC history and his rushing mark stands as the seventh most in SEC history as he paced the league in both categories in the 2019 season. Additionally, Williams racked up 18 rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth most in a single season as an Aggie. Williams went on to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Graham also oversaw the transformation of Cullen Gillaspia from linebacker to fullback, as Gillaspia became the first 12th Man to score a touchdown and to hear his name called in the NFL Draft. In the 2018 Gator Bowl, Gillaspia rumbled in from 13 yards out to cement his place in Aggie history. Giallaspia then added to the lore as he was chosen in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
Among the players he coached at Florida State were future NFL running backs Dalvin Cook, Devonta Freeman, James Wilder Jr. and Karlos Williams, as well as placekicker Roberto Aguayo.
With Graham's leadership, Cook became a unanimous first-team All-American in 2016, as well as the school's all-time leading rusher. Cook finished his collegiate career with single season records for rushing yards (1,765 in 2016) and all-purpose yards (2,253 in 2016) and with a school record 4,464 career rushing yards. He finished in the top 10 in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in both 2015 and 2016 and went on to be a second-round selection of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft.
One of Graham's most impressive coaching jobs came with Williams. Graham oversaw the conversion of Williams from defensive back to running back in 2013, a move that saw Williams rack up 22 rushing touchdowns in two seasons and finish ninth on the Seminoles' career rushing touchdowns list before joining the NFL.
Graham's first year of work at Florida State in 2013 resulted in a tremendous ground attack that helped the Seminoles go undefeated (14-0) and have one of the most productive offenses in college football history, as the Seminoles set an FBS record for points in a season (723).
Graham's work with the Seminoles' special teams unit was also impressive. In 2015, Cason Beatty led the ACC in punting average (45.2 yard per punt). Placekicker Roberto Aguayo was a three-time first-team All-American and left FSU as the most accurate kicker in college football history with a .9673 conversion rate. He made all 198 of his extra point attempts and 69-of-78 field goals during his career and became the highest drafted kicker since 2005 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Prior to his time at FSU, Graham spent a season at Tennessee as the Volunteers' running back coach. In just one year in Knoxville under Graham's guidance, the Vols more than doubled their rushing output from 70.4 yards per game in 2011 to 160.3 yards per game in 2012.
Prior to his success in Tennessee, Graham spent three seasons at South Carolina from 2009-11 where he helped tutor running back Marcus Lattimore to consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before he was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Gamecocks went to bowl games each season during Graham's tenure and posted the program's first 11-win season in 2011.
Graham also served one-year stints at Miami (Ohio), UT-Martin, San Diego and Chattanooga after getting his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 2005.
A native of Concord, N.C., Graham was a standout All-SEC running back from 1993-96 at Tennessee, rushing for 2, 609 yards and totaling 14 career 100-yard games. Graham earned All-SEC second team honors as both a junior and a senior and helped the Vols to three bowl victories.
Following his successful career at Tennessee, Graham was a third-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 1997. He spent six seasons in the NFL with Baltimore, Seattle, and Green Bay.
Graham and his wife, Kelly, are the parents of three daughters, Nia, Denae and Kierra, and two sons, Jayson and Kellan.
The Graham File
Personal
- Birthdate: July 14, 1975
- Hometown: Concord, N.C.
- Wife: Kelly
- Children: daughters, Nia, Denae, and Kierra; sons, Jayson and Kellan
Education
- Tennessee, bachelor's degree in psychology, 2004
- Tennessee, master's degree in sports management, 2008
Playing Experience
| 1993-96 | Tennessee |
| 1997-99 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2001 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2002 | Green Bay Packers |
Coaching Experience
| 2005 | Tennessee (graduate assistant) |
| 2006 | Chattanooga (running backs) |
| 2007 | San Diego (running backs/special teams) |
| 2007 | UT-Martin (running backs/recruiting coordinator) |
| 2008 | Miami (Ohio) (running backs) |
| 2009-10 | South Carolina (running backs) |
| 2011 | South Carolina (running backs/tight ends) |
| 2012 | Tennessee (running backs) |
| 2013 | Florida State (running backs) |
| 2014-17 | Florida State (running backs/special teams) |
| 2018 | Texas A&M (running backs) |
Postseason Experience: As a Player
| 1993 | Florida Citrus (Tennessee) |
| 1994 | Gator (Tennessee) |
| 1995 | Florida Citrus (Tennessee) |
| 1996 | Florida Citrus (Tennessee) |
Postseason Experience: As a Coach
| 2009 | Papa Johns (South Carolina) |
| 2010 | Chick-fil-A (South Carolina) |
| 2011 | Capital One (South Carolina) |
| 2013 | BCS National Championship (Florida State) |
| 2014 | CFB Playoff/Rose (Florida State) |
| 2015 | Peach (Florida State) |
| 2016 | Orange (Florida State) |
| 2018 | Gator (Texas A&M) |
