College Football Player Turned Potential Sports Broadcaster

College Football Player Turned Potential Sports Broadcaster

By Liz Kegg, ENGL 336

            Frostburg State University junior, Deondray Sumpter, or “Dray” for short, has been playing football his entire life. Dray is a mass communication major who wants to pursue a career as a sports broadcaster.

            Dray began his football career in elementary school playing on a youth team. Initially, he did not even like playing this sport; he only played because his parents made him. Dray continued playing football throughout middle and high school. However, Dray did not take the sport seriously until he played for James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. He had played basketball in middle school and high school, but ended his basketball career to focus on football.

            Dray is now on the football team at Frostburg State University, where he plays the defense cornerback.  When asked why he chose to play football at Frostburg, Dray says, “I had a family member who came here to play football.”

            When not playing football or spending time with family and friends, Dray enjoys relaxing and watching Sports Center. His interest in watching sports on television has guided him to want a career in sports broadcasting. Dray was even the host of his high school’s live recordings of announcements, which has led him to be interested in pursuing professional broadcasting.

            When asked if he had considered playing football as a career, Dray says, “I’ve thought about it before, but then reality set in.” He says he tries to focus on his future instead, and instead will focus on academic pursuits.

            Dray is very close to his family. He says, "My mom has never missed a single one of my football games." According to Dray, his mother comes to all his games because he is the only child in his family who takes sports seriously.

            As a resident of the District of Columbia, Dray has been a long-time Washington Redskins fan. He has been to several games, and the environment inspires him to pursue a career in the sports industry.

For more information on the Frostburg State University football team, click here, and for more information on the Frostburg State University Mass Communication department, click here.