Five Minute Flashback...with Ray Mickens

The great Ray Mickens is our guest on week two of "Five Minute Flashback." It's a Hall of Fame edition of the feature, as we spoke with Mickens just a few minutes before his induction into Aggie Athletics' most prestigious fraternity.

Better known to Aggie fans as "Ray Ray," Mickens starred for Texas A&M from 1992-95. The 5-foot-8 cornerback played and a passion and a fire that was 6-foot-5 and bulletproof, which allowed him to take on the challenge of covering big, tall receivers week after week. Mickens, a two-time All-American, helped the Ags win Southwest Conference titles in 1992-93. During his four years at A&M, the maroon and white went 23-1 at Kyle Field.

Mickens was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft, joining fellow Aggie corner and mentor Aaron Glenn in the Jets secondary. Ray played nine seasons in New York and 11 seasons total, also seeing action with the Browns and Patriots. He was known as one of the better nickelbacks in the National Football League during his career.

Here is a special "Hall of Fame" edition of Five Good Minutes, catching up with former Texas A&M cornerback Ray Mickens.

Gabe Bock: How good does it feel to know you’re a part of this unique and special fraternity?
Ray Mickens: “First of all, it’s an honor and a blessing, and I thank God every day that I had an opportunity to play. When I got the call [for the Hall of Fame], I was so excited that I had to almost pinch myself because I never had this as a goal of mine. Now that I accomplished it, I look back and say, ‘Wow, I really did that and I was one of the best to play here at A&M.’ It’s been a very surreal feeling for me, and I still haven’t really gotten over it yet.”

GB: I watched as you walked through the museum before our interview, checking out the defensive backs section. Is the list of cornerbacks inducted into the Hall of Fame pretty mind boggling?
Mickens: “Absolutely. I respected those guys when I was growing up. Lester Hayes was one of my idols when I was a little kid. Pat Thomas [was phenomenal]. When I got here, Kevin Smith took me under his wing. I’m humbled to be mentioned in the same breath with them. This is by far the most important my accomplishment I’ve had to date. I’ve had a lot of accolades, but this, by far, is the one I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

GB: How unique is it that you get to go in with Leeland McElroy, who played at the exact same time as you?
Mickens: “When I heard his name, I was like, ‘This is awesome.’ He was an awesome and talented player. I remember when he was being recruited, everything we had to do [to get him to sign]. The coaches came in and told us to do whatever you can and say whatever you can to get this guy because we need him. We did pretty much everything we could, and he’s here, and the rest is history. He took us to another level on the national stage. It’s an honor to go in with him as well because of the memories we shared when we were here.”

GB: Aaron Glenn is another name on the list of Hall of Fame cornerbacks and he’s someone that you’ll forever be linked with, considering your history together at A&M and with the Jets.
Mickens: “He’s one of the best cornerbacks in the history of A&M and he had a great career in the NFL. To have him here at the same time, and for us to be the same size and play the game the same way, I think we fed off of each other. I fed off of his confidence because he was two years older than me. I fed off what he and Kevin Smith had already started here. It was one of those things where he always had my back and I always had his. Ironically, we got drafted by the same team and played in the NFL together. I don’t know how many guys can say that. We played in the NFL for six or seven years together. That was an awesome experience as well. We’re almost forever attached at the hip.”

GB: The ‘92-‘95 teams, during your four seasons at A&M, were 23-1 at Kyle Field. Did it just seem like you knew you were going to win every time you took the field?
Mickens: “Absolutely. There was a spirit and you could breathe it in. When we went out on the field, it was like we were a whole different team. It didn’t matter who came in there, not even an NFL team, they couldn’t beat us. The Wrecking Crew was something special. It’s something that doesn’t happen a lot. That group that we had was better than any defense I was on, even in the NFL. Sam Adams, Pat Williams, Aaron Glenn, Kevin Smith, Quentin Coryatt ... I can’t say enough about how great those guys were. It was more about how we played the game. We played it with a passion. There was just a mystique or spirit there that we could inhale. We just had a lot of fun.”

GB: You lost your last game at Kyle Field, to Texas, after going 23-0 in your career. But you guys were able to come back and beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl in your last game. What was it like taking off that uniform for the last time and doing so with a win over Michigan?
Mickens: “That game you’re talking about [the loss to Texas], I really had forgotten about it until now. There were so many wins that I don’t remember that loss. To finish against Michigan, one of the top teams in the country and with all of its history, it was an awesome deal to beat those guys in the Alamo Bowl. It was a big win for Texas A&M and I felt a lot of pressure lifted off of me after the loss. We ended on a good note and I finished my college career on a good note. I only have good memories to look back on now.”

GB: Finally, talk about the excitement centered around A&M switching back to the 3-4 defense.
Mickens: “3-4 or 4-3 doesn’t matter. The coach is going to give you a call and it doesn’t matter what call it is ... it’s how you play it. You play with passion and with a lot of heart, and good things are going to happen. It didn’t matter what Coach Davie called, we were going to play with a lot of passion and make a play. They have the 3-4 defense, but none of that matters if you don’t play with passion. I do believe that this year the defense is going to come alive.”

GB: Finally, catch us up on all of the charity organizations you’re working with now and everything that is going on with you.
Mickens: “I work a lot in the community. I do a lot of charity events and fundraisers for kids and organizations. I have kids of my own that I enjoy working with and watching them play football. I also do some business at DFW Airport with beverage and retail, so my plate is full. I also do some things on Fox Sports Southwest every once in a while. Right now, I’m enjoying my family and cherishing all of those memories. I can finally open up that box and start going through those old pictures and jerseys, and sharing some laughs with my sons.”