Johnathan Abram’s head is full of ringing cowbells. Or at least the memory of them when he’s around teammates Willie Gay and J.T. Gray, who all took the field together back in 2017. They took significantly different routes to join the New Orleans Saints, but they all started out at Mississippi State before jumping to the NFL.
Gray joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and has been a Saint ever since, earning several postseason honors for his work on special teams. Abram and Gay made their way to New Orleans after being drafted by other NFL teams, Abram last season and Gay this offseason. They were actually division rivals on the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs for a time.
Their collegiate careers overlapped for just year. Gray was a senior when Abram and Gay arrived on campus in 2017. The latter two played one more year together before Abram went to the league, and Gay followed after.
In the words of Peaches and Herb, “reunited and it feels so good.”
Abram spoke about that bond after Wednesday’s practice session before Thursday’s off day. He reflected on each of his younger teammates and answered a question about the collegiate connection by acknowledging that “Bulldogs like to stick together.” Abram and Gray have gone bowling together, competing against the team’s wide receivers, and it’s clear the trio has a good relationship.
They like to “reminisce on how things used to be at MSU and how they’ve changed.” Abram described them as lifelong friends and the opportunity to play together again as a surreal blessing. That kind of staying power and camaraderie is rare in the NFL, and guys who have bounced around a couple of different teams don’t take it for granted.
