Where Are They Now - Eddie Murray
Sep 27, 2004 | Football
Sept. 27, 2004
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Looking at a stat sheet and accomplishments of former Tulane placekicker Eddie Murray, it would be hard to argue that his career was anything short of a huge success.
During his four years at Tulane (1976-79), Murray set Green Wave records for most points by a kicker (219), most field goals made (45), most PATs made (84), and highest field goal percentage (.616). As a member of the Detroit Lions from 1980-91, Murray set team marks for total points (1,113), extra points made (381) and most field goals made (244). In 19 years in the NFL, he made a pair of Pro Bowls, posted six 100-point campaigns, and currently ranks seventh on the all-time scoring list (1,594).
The ironic thing is, Murray's career almost never happened.
A native of Victoria, British Colombia, Murray graduated from Spectrum High in 1975 and spent a year working in a lumber yard with some high school friends, operating a fork lift.
Then, fate stepped in in the form of Willard Wells. Wells was one of several new coaches on Larry Smith's first coaching staff in 1976, and being a native of British Colombia himself, remembered seeing a talented prepster who stood out in soccer, cricket and rugby.
"The biggest break in my life came when Coach Wells fell across some film of me and started the recruiting process," Murray said. "It was a great opportunity for me to not only play college football, but also get a great education. The decision from there was easy."
Murray wasted little time making a name for himself at Tulane, setting a school single-season record with 10 field goals and led the Green Wave with 47 points. That became the norm for Murray throughout his collegiate career as he set the Tulane field goals made record as a sophomore, was named first-team All-South Independent all four years, and claimed All-America honors his final two seasons.
From there, Murray was unsure if he had a future in football. Following his senior season, he was left off of the NFL Combine invite list as well as the senior all-star games. He was, however, drafted in the first round by the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League.
"The CFL draft was about a month before the NFL draft," Murray said. "(An associate) told me that I should wait for the NFL draft to see if I'd get drafted of picked up as a free agent. Sure enough, I was taken in the seventh round by the Lions, and needless to say, I never heard from the Tiger Cats again."
As he had done with the Green Wave, Murray made an immediate impact in Detroit, leading the team scoring with 116 points to earn a spot in the 1981 Pro Bowl. Even more impressively, Murray drilled four field goals in the AFC-NFL All-Star Game to become the first and only rookie to be named Pro Bowl MVP.
During the season, however, Murray learned how important it was to keep working. He joined the Lions as a rookie as Detroit was attempting to supplant incumbent Bennie Ricardo. Ricardo got caught up in contract negations and walked out during training camp, and that opened the door for Murray, who hit 13-of-15 field goals during that preseason, unofficially.
"I never had the, `I've got it made' attitude," Murray said. "As a kicker, you don't have a backup so you can't think, `Well, if I'm not the starter, I'll be the No. 2 guy.' You're either employed or unemployed.
"I remember coming off the Pro Bowl MVP showing as a rookie, I come into camp for my second year, and there are three or four guys there competing for my job. That's the way it was every year for a while, so you learn very quickly that the key is to keep working hard and not take anything for granted."
That attitude kept Murray in the league for another 18 seasons. After leaving the Lions following the 1991 season, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992, Dallas Cowboys in 1993, Philadelphia Eagles in 1994, Washington Redskins in 1995, Minnesota Vikings in 1997, back to the Cowboys in 1999 and rejoined the Redskins in 2000.
During his nearly two-decade stint in the NFL, Murray set numerous records, played on seven teams that advanced to the playoffs, and won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1993.
But despite his numerous and impressive accomplishments on the gridiron, Murray can quickly recall his favorite and most prized feat - "My proudest moment and highest achievement I ever earned was getting a degree from Tulane University. I didn't really get a true grasp for what it meant to be at Tulane until after I left. But it was a great experience and I really got a lot out of it."
Today, Murray lives in Detroit, Mich., with his wife of 11 years, the former Cindy Conn of Detroit, and together they have one daughter, Nicole (7). While not kicking oblong balls through 10-foot high uprights, he is still responsible for delivering in the clutch as president of Eddie Murray Enterprises, a company that just celebrated its first anniversary as a major trucking company in the Motor City.
