Ray Ramsey

Who was Ray Ramsey?

"Rocket" Raymond LeRoy Ramsey was a professional American football player who played defensive back for the Chicago Cardinals. He remains the Cardinals all-time record holder for interception return yardage in a single season with 237 which he set in the 1953 season. He also played in the All-America Football Conference and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, a forerunner of the Canadian Football League.

In addition, Ramsey had a brief professional basketball career, playing two games for the Baltimore Bullets during the 1948-49 BAA season.

Ramsey was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1991. He was admitted to a nursing home in June 2009, where four days after admission he slipped and broke his hip. His condition worsened until he died at St. John’s Hospital on August 25, 2009.