No. 2, 3, 4 | |||||||||||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Irving, Texas, U.S. | May 9, 1968||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
College: | East Texas State | ||||||||||
Undrafted: | 1991 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
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As a coach: | |||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Career Arena statistics | |||||||||||
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Player stats at ArenaFan.com |
Gary Compton (born May 9, 1968) is a former American football wide receiver and linebacker in the Arena Football League and briefly in the National Football League and World League of American Football. Compton played college football at East Texas State (now Texas A&M-Commerce) from 1987-1990 where he was an All-Conference and All-American Wide Receiver as well as a Harlon Hill Award candidate. He is the all-time leading career receiver for the A&M-Commerce Football program.
Compton was born and raised in Irving, Texas. In an interview with ArenaFan.com, he described himself as a "Typical Texas kid. My parents dressed me up in Dallas Cowboys’ gear and enrolled me in youth football leagues as soon as I could walk. Since I was five-years-old, my parents had a football in my hands,” Compton said. “And the game has been a part of my life ever since.” Compton was a Football standout at Irving High School in Irving. His on the field successes earned him a Football scholarship to East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas.
Compton attended East Texas State University, where he was a standout wide receiver. [1] A 4 year starter, he helped the Lions to an 8 win season and 2nd place finish in the Lone Star Conference in 1988 and in 1990 an LSC Conference Championship, and an appearance in the 1990 NCAA Division II playoffs finishing as national quarter-finalists with a 10-3 record. Compton graduated from ETSU in 1991 with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. Teaming up with future Arena League QB's Michael Trigg and Bobby Bounds, he helped the Lion offenses of the late 80's and 1990 to become some of the most potent in the country. He left Commerce as the All-Time leader in receiving, a four-time All-Lone Star Conference and two-time All-American selection. Compton holds school and conference records for receptions (181), yardage (3,041), and touchdowns (30) in a career.
Compton went undrafted in the 1991 NFL draft but signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. He was with the team throughout training camp, but was released by the team prior to the start of the season. He then joined the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football for a short time before signing in the Arena Leagues, at first with the Cleveland Thunderbolts, and then was reunited with former Lion teammate Michael Trigg as he signed with the Dallas Texans. This began a long term career in the Arena Football League that saw Compton play for the Dallas Texans, Fort Worth Cavalry, Milwaukee Mustangs, Indiana Firebirds, Grand Rapids Rampage, Tampa Bay Storm, and Philadelphia Soul. Compton retired from Football in 2004.
Compton is married and has 3 sons and 1 daughter and lives in Wisconsin. He has coached high school football in both Texas and Wisconsin and is currently the owner and operator of his own business.
The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.
Clint Dolezel is an American football coach and former professional arena football player in the Arena Football League (AFL).
Henry Douglas III is an American former National Football League and Arena Football League offensive specialist for the Los Angeles Avengers, the Chicago Rush and the Columbus Destroyers.
Curtis LaDonn Buckley is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Kilgore College for two years and then East Texas State University, where he was a two time All-American and two time First-team All-Conference.
James Anthony Dixon is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Fort Worth Cavalry in the Arena Football League. He played college football at the University of Houston.
Ernest Ray Hawkins was an American football coach, basketball coach, and athletic director. He served as head football coach at East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—from 1964 to 1985, compiling a 132–92–6 record. He is the winningest head coach in Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football history and led the program to the NAIA Football National Championship in 1972.
The Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions are the athletic teams that represent Texas A&M University–Commerce, located in Commerce, Texas, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Lions compete as members of the Southland Conference for all 12 varsity sports. Texas A&M University–Commerce previously played in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference from 1931 to 2022.
Jermaine Lewis is a former American football wide receiver. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Lions in 2003. He played college football at Western Michigan.
Derrick Crawford is a former American indoor football defensive lineman. He has most recently played for the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League. He attended Avon Park High School in Avon Park, Florida, where he was a standout at tight end being named the 1997 Florida District 12 3A Player of the Year. After a junior college career at Trinity Valley Community College, Crawford attended Texas A&M University-Commerce where he was a standout on defense, twice being named to All-Lone Star Conference Teams and named the conference's Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2003.
Michael Scott Trigg is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at East Texas State University.
Lavasier T. Tuinei is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Oregon.
Bobby Bounds is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons with the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Texas A&M University-Commerce, which was then known as East Texas State University, where he was an All-American quarterback and one of the best passers in the history of Lion football and the Lone Star Conference. He was also a member of the Benicarlo Tifons of the Professional Football League and Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
The Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team is the college football program representing Texas A&M University–Commerce. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I FCS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the Southland, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The A&M–Commerce football team plays its home games at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. On Dec. 16, 2017, A&M-Commerce won its first NCAA Division II national championship, by defeating West Florida, 37-27, in Kansas City. The Lions recorded a perfect record in 1934, won the NAIA National Championship in 1972, and have amassed a total of 24 LSC conference championships since joining as a charter member in 1931. On September 28, 2021, the university accepted an invitation from the Southland Conference, moving the university's athletics programs up to the NCAA Division I level. This ended a 90-year affiliation with the Lone Star Conference, as A&M-Commerce was the last founding member remaining. The football team will compete at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level beginning in the 2022 season.
Vernon Johnson is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Midwestern State University, Southwestern College, and Texas A&M University–Commerce.
The 1990 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1990 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Eddie Vowell, the Lions compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–0 in conference play, winning the LSC title for the first time since 1983. East Texas advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs, where they beat Grand Valley State in the first round before falling to Pittsburg State in the quarterfinals. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas. Wide receiver Gary Compton was a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee.
The 1989 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1989 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Eddie Vowell, the Lions compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 2–5 in conference play, placing in a three-way tied for fifth in the LSC. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.
The 1988 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1988 NCAA Division II football season. Led by third-year head coach Eddie Vowell, the Lions compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 5–2 in conference play, trying for second place in the LSC. East Texas State began the season at 8–1 and reached as high as No. 2 in the NCAA Division II rankings before losing their final two games. It was Vowell's first winning season as head coach and the program's the first winning season since 1983. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.
The 1987 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1987 NCAA Division II football season. Led by second-year head coach Eddie Vowell, the Lions compiled an overall record of 2–9 with a mark of 0–5 in conference play, placing last out of six teams in the LSC. For the first time in program history, the East Texas State went winless in conference play. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.
Eddie Ray Vowell is a retired American football coach. He is best known for serving as head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 1986 to 1998. He is second in program history with 73 career wins and led the Lions to the 1990 Lone Star Conference championship and appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1990, 1991, and 1995.
Billy Ray Minor Jr is a former American football wide receiver. He played in the National Football League for Philadelphia Eagles and also in the Arena Football League for the Dallas Texans. He played college football at East Texas State University where he was a 4-year letterman, 2 time All Lone Star Conference performer, Conference Champion, member of 2 National quarter-finalist teams, and finished his career as a top 10 receiver in program history in receptions and receiving yards.