NoteCARDS:
- Signed a two-year contract with the Cardinals as an unrestricted free agent on 3/25/12 after spending his first five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Appeared in all 16 games during each of his five seasons in Pittsburgh, with 34 starts. Also appeared in eight postseason contests (three starts), including trips to Super Bowls XLIII and XLV.
- His 80 consecutive regular season games played ranks as the fourth-best total among active CBs, trailing only Ronde Barber (224), Ike Taylor (123) and Richard Marshall (96).
- Started a career-high 15 games during the regular season in 2011, posting 56 tackles, a career-high two INTs, 13 passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
- In Arizona, reunites with defensive coordinator Ray Horton, assistant defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend and FS Kerry Rhodes. Horton served as his position coach in Pittsburgh from 2007-10, while Townsend was a fellow CB for the Steelers from 2007-09. Gay shared the defensive backfield with Rhodes at the University of Louisville for two seasons (2003-04).
Pro Career:
Originally a fifth-round selection (170th overall) by the Steelers in the 2007 NFL Draft, remained in Pittsburgh after signing one-year tender on 4/16/10 and a one-year contract on 8/4/11. Agreed to a two-year contract with the Cardinals on 3/25/12 as an unrestricted free agent.
2011: Appeared in all 16 regular season games for the fifth straight season, including a career-high 15 starts … extended his consecutive regular season games played streak to 80 … totaled 56 tackles, a career-high two INTs, 13 passes defensed and a fumble recovery in the regular season … also started the lone postseason contest … saw action on both defense and special teams in the season opener @ Bal (9/11); posted a tackle and added a special teams tackle … made his first start of the season at LCB in place of the injured Bryant McFadden vs. Sea (9/18) and had four tackles and two passes defensed; part of a defense that held the Seahawks to 159 yards passing … made his second start of the season at CB in place of the injured McFadden and had five tackles @ Ind (9/25) … started in place of McFadden and had three tackles @ Hou (10/2); part of a defense that held the Texans to 138 yards passing … made his fifth consecutive start at LCB vs. Jax (10/16), which marked his 70th career game; totaled five tackles and was part of a defense that held the Jaguars to 109 yards passing … made his 30th career start at CB and had five tackles and one pass breakup vs. Bal (11/6); recorded his first fumble recovery of the season and second of his career when LB James Harrison sacked and stripped QB Joe Flacco … totaled three tackles and recorded the second INT of his career @ Cin (11/13), picking off QB Andy Dalton with 2:27 left in the fourth quarter; also added a team-high three pass breakups … starting at LCB, appeared in his 75th career game and had two tackles @ KC (11/27) … finished with six tackles and recorded his second INT of the season vs. Cle (12/8); part of a defense that held the Browns to just three points … starting at LCB, had six tackles and one pass defensed vs. StL (12/24) … recorded four tackles and two pass breakups in the regular season finale @ Cle (1/1/12) … started at LCB in the Wild Card matchup @ Den (1/8/12) and had five tackles.
2010: Saw action in all 16 regular season games with one start, while also starting two of three postseason games he appeared in … finished the regular season with 46 tackles, a career-high two sacks, a team-high 15 passes defensed, a forced fumble and 13 special teams tackles … finished the postseason with seven tackles while tying the team-high with three passes defensed … saw action at CB and on special teams in the season opener vs. Atl (9/12), recording three tackles and a pass defensed; also added a special teams tackle … appeared in his 50th career game when he saw time at CB @ Ten (9/19); totaled one tackle and was part of a defense that forced six Titans turnovers … posted four tackles and recorded his first sack of the season @ TB (9/26); marked second career sack … saw action on defense and on special teams vs. Cle (10/17), recording two tackles, a pass defensed and a special teams tackle … put on a memorable performance @ Cin (11/8), when he totaled six tackles, three QB pressures, three passes defensed and his first career blocked punt on the Bengals first possession of the game; marked first blocked punt for a Steelers player since Andre Frazier did so @ Washington on 11/3/08; also added a tackle on special teams … made his first start of the season as an extra CB and finished with four tackles, a career-high four passes defensed and a forced fumble @ Buf (11/28) … totaled four tackles, a pass defensed and posted an eight-yard sack in the second quarter vs. Cin (12/12); marked his second sack of the season and third of his career … saw action in the secondary and on special teams and helped limited the Panthers to just 72 yards passing vs. Car (12/23) … recorded two tackles and two passes defensed in the regular season finale @ Cle (1/2/11) … saw significant action in place of injured CB Bryant McFadden and posted a tackle and a pass defensed in the Divisional matchup vs. Bal (1/15/11); helped limit the Ravens to just 125 yards passing … made his first career start in the secondary in the postseason and totaled four tackles, a pass defensed and his first career TD in the AFC Championship Game vs. NYJ (1/23/11); TD came after he scooped up a Jets fumble and returned it 19 yards to give the Steelers a 24-0 lead late in the second quarter … made his second career postseason start in the secondary and posted two tackles and a pass defensed in Super Bowl XLV vs. GB (2/6/11).
2009: Started 14 of the 16 games he appeared in while recording career-highs with 91 tackles and 16 passes defensed … added his first career sack and forced fumble and totaled five special teams tackles … posted three games with at least 10 tackles and four games with multiple passes defensed … appeared as a reserve in the final two games of the season … made his fifth career start in the season opener vs. Ten (9/10) and totaled six tackles and a pass defensed … made his second consecutive start and posted double-digit tackles (10) for the first time in his career @ Chi (9/20) … starting his fourth consecutive game to open the season, recorded four tackles and a season-high three passes defensed vs. SD (10/4) … finished with eight tackles, a pass defensed and recorded his first career sack @ Det (10/11); sack came on the Lions final drive of the game with Pittsburgh leading 28-20; took down Daunte Culpepper on 2nd down, one of seven Steelers sacks on the day … made his seventh straight start to open the season and finished with 11 tackles and a pass defensed vs. Min (10/25) … recorded eight tackles and matched his season-high with three passes defensed vs Cin (11/15) … established a career-high with 12 tackles and forced his first career fumble @ Bal (11/29) … started his 12th consecutive game and had five tackles and a pass defensed before leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to a head injury vs. Oak (12/6) … returned from the head injury to start @ Cle (12/10), and posted three tackles … in his final start of the season, recorded six tackles and two passes defensed vs. GB (12/20) … totaled three tackles in his first appearance of the season as a reserve vs. Bal (12/27) … played in his 48th consecutive game, appearing on defense and special teams @ Mia (1/3/10); recorded a tackle, a QB pressure, a pass defensed and a special teams tackle.
2008: Played in all 16 regular season games for the second consecutive season, and made his first four career starts … also appeared in all three postseason matchups … totaled 38 tackles, 11 passes defensed and the first INT of his career … INT came in the fourth quarter against Baltimore in Week 15, sealing the win and the AFC North title … added nine tackles on special teams … registered two solo tackles and one special teams tackle in the season opener vs. Hou (9/7) … appearing in his 19th consecutive game, totaled five tackles and a pass defensed @ Phi (9/21) … saw extensive action in the secondary after injures to S Troy Polamalu and CB Bryant McFadden and recorded two tackles and a pass defensed @ Cin (10/19) … finished with three solo tackles, two passes defensed and two special teams tackles @ Was (11/3) … made his first career start at CB and recorded three solo tackles vs. SD (11/16) … made his second consecutive start at CB and finished with a then career-high six tackles and one pass defensed vs. Cin (11/20) … made his third straight start at CB and had four tackles, two passes defensed and a special teams tackle @ NE (11/30) … in his fourth consecutive start, registered four solo tackles and two passes defensed vs. Dal (12/7) … recorded the first INT of his career @ Bal (12/14); INT came in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh leading 13-9 and the Ravens driving inside Steeler territory with under 20 seconds remaining in the game; INT sealed the win and the AFC North division title for Pittsburgh … appeared in his second career postseason game and recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter of the Divisional matchup vs. SD (1/11/09) … contributed on defense and special teams in the AFC Championship Game vs. Bal (1/18/09) … recorded a tackle and a special teams tackle in Super Bowl XLIII vs. Ari (2/1/09).
2007: Appeared in all 16 regular season games and the Wild Card matchup as a reserve DB and on special teams during his rookie campaign … finished the season with five tackles, two passes defensed, a fumble recovery and tied for third on the team with 11 special teams tackles … made his NFL debut in the season opener @ Cle (9/9) and recorded a fumble recovery and a pass defensed against the division rival Browns … totaled two special teams tackles vs. SF (9/23) … part of a defense that allowed only 144 total yards (38 rushing, 106 passing) and only eight first downs vs. Sea (10/7) … registered his first two NFL tackles and added a special teams tackle @ Den (10/21) … saw extensive playing time due to the absence of Ryan Clark and Bryant McFadden @ Cin (10/28) … recorded a tackle on defense and on special teams vs. Bal (11/5); part of a defensive unit that allowed just 104 total yards (64 rushing, 40 passing) and five first downs … saw extensive action on special teams and limited action on defense in the next seven games … recorded two tackles and a special teams tackle in the regular season finale @ Bal (12/30) … saw action on defense and special teams in his first career postseason matchup in the Wild Card game vs. Jax (1/5/08).
College:
Appeared in 46 games with 36 starts in four seasons at Louisville … as a freshman and sophomore from 2003-04, played alongside current Cardinals teammate Kerry Rhodes … as a senior in ’06, was selected first-team All-Big East Conference after finishing second on the team with 60 tackles and leading the way with six INTs … also totaled 13 passes defensed … helped lead Louisville to a FedEx Orange Bowl victory over Wake Forest … as a junior in ’05, started nine games and tallied 20 tackles, a sack and forced fumble … as a sophomore in ’04, started 11 games and totaled 21 tackles and four passes defensed … named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team in ’03 after appearing in 11 games (three starts) … totaled 33 tackles, an INT and led the team with eight passes defensed.
Personal:
Attended Rickards (Tallahassee, FL) High School where he played QB, WR and safety for the Raiders … passed for 1,035 yards and seven scores, had 1,237 yards and 11 scores receiving and added 82 tackles, 14 passes defensed and nine INTs as a senior when he was named team co-MVP and earned first-team all-Big Bend area honors … racked up over 1,200 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs as a junior … also a standout on the track team.
