Former Tennessee Vols standout earns impressive preseason NFL honor

Former Tennessee Vols running back Eric Gray earned an impressive NFL honor this week.

Gray, a fifth round pick by the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft, rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in the Giants' preseason opener last week. The former Vol also caught four passes for 46 yards.

As a result of the strong performance, Gray was named the Pro Football Focus offensive player of the week.

Gray, who finished his college career at Oklahoma after two seasons with the Vols, is hoping to win the No. 2 running back job for the Giants ahead of the 2024 season.

The Memphis native's strong game against the Lions combined with rookie running back Tyrone Tracy's ankle injury on Tuesday (which could sidelined Tracy for a month) should mean that Gray starts the season at No. 2 on New York's depth chart.

Gray will get another chance to impress the Giants coaching staff on Saturday when New York takes on the Houston Texans in Week Two of the preseason.

Related: Josh Heupel's tone during fall camp is the opposite of Kirby Smart's at Georgia; Why that's a great thing for the Vols