Willie Gay
Willie Gay Jr. is an American professional football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 63rd overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft.
Early life
Gay attended Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi. At Starkville High School, he won the 2015 6A State Championship. He played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. A four-star recruit, Gay committed to Mississippi State University to play college football.College career
Gay played at Mississippi State from 2017 to 2019. As a junior in 2019, he played in only five games and missed eight due to suspension. After the season, he entered the 2020 NFL draft, forgoing his senior season. During his career, he played in 31 games, starting six, recording 99 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions and a touchdown.Professional career
Kansas City Chiefs
Gay was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round with the 63rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which was previously acquired by the Chiefs in a 2019 trade that sent Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers. In Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Gay recorded his first career sack. On February 6, 2021, Gay was placed on injured reserve, forcing him to miss Super Bowl LV. Without Gay, the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Gay was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2021. He was activated on October 9.
On September 19, 2022, Gay was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy due to his arrest in January 2022. Gay went on to help the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35. Gay recorded eight tackles in the Super Bowl.
In 2023, Gay had 58 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, one interception, and four passes defended. Gay helped the Chiefs reach Super Bowl LVIII where they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to win their second straight championship. Gay recorded 4 tackles in the game.