The 2022 Canadian Football League season came to a close Sunday with the 109th meeting of the Gray Cup — the league’s championship. Between the Toronto Argonauts and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, one former Missouri bruiser came out a winner.

In just his second season with the Argonauts, Shane Ray went home with his first Gray Cup. The defensive lineman didn’t record a statistic en route to the victory, but the win marks his second ever league title.

The former first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft was a member of the 2015-2016 Denver Broncos that won Super Bowl 50. Ray, then 23 years old, started his professional career on a high note after four seasons with Missouri.

Ray’s NFL career didn’t pan out after a successful first season. Following two healthy years, he battled wrist injuries in 2017 and 2018 that inevitably led to Denver moving on from its former first-round selection.

After being signed by the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason prior to the 2019 season, Ray was released in August. The former Tiger didn’t make it through roster cuts, leaving his professional career up in the air. 

Ray signed with the Argonauts in February of 2021, playing in six games last season and recording four tackles. The 29-year-old played in 13 games this season, totaling 13 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles.

For the 18th time in league history, the Argonauts were crowned champions, continuing its reign of the CFL with the most Gray Cups in the league’s history. Besides Ray, former Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy also played in the CFL this season for the Edmonton Elks. The former second-round pick last played in the NFL in 2018.