Editing Randall Gay (section)

==Professional career==

===New England Patriots===
On April 29, [[2004 New England Patriots season|2004]], he was signed by the Patriots shortly after the [[NFL draft]] as an [[undrafted free agent]].  His rookie year, Gay beat out cornerback [[Christian Morton]], the Patriots' 7th-round draft pick, for a place on the roster. Later in the season, Gay was placed into the starting lineup because of injuries to veterans [[Ty Law]] and [[Tyrone Poole]]. Gay's rookie season concluded with a victory in [[Super Bowl XXXIX]], in which he started opposite [[Asante Samuel]] where he was the leading tackler with 11 solo tackles. Gay was involved in several low level controversies as a Patriot: He failed to make a full contribution in [[2005 New England Patriots season|2005]] and [[2006 New England Patriots season|2006]], due to injuries that landed him on [[injured reserve]]. This led to some long running criticisms from the tough vocal New England fans and repeated questions about him on the region's talk shows and in the papers. Hence, after failing to deliver up to expectations of [[New England Patriots]] fans in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons,  before the 2007 training camp, Gay was quoted as saying:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid%3D192721 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408041918/http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=192721 |archive-date=April 8, 2007 |title=Gay keeps his head up |first=John |last=Tomase |date=April 4, 2007 |website=[[Boston Herald]] |language=en |access-date=16 August 2023}}</ref>

{{blockquote|You know how it is, It's like, 'Oh man, you're still getting a paycheck?' and 'Two years in a row!?!' That's the kind of stuff you really don't want to hear, because in your heart you want to be back out there.

I can say this, I'm the most anxious person for training camp. I'm about the only one here that's ready for it to come.}}

Gay returned in 2007 and played primarily as a nickel back and a backup safety.  He did start several games, including the AFC Divisional Game against the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]]. Gay intercepted a career-high three passes while playing in every game of the 2007 season en route to a perfect regular season that ended with the Patriots' defeat at the hands of the [[New York Giants]] in [[Super Bowl XLII]].

===New Orleans Saints===
On March 2, 2008, Gay signed a four-year, $17.8 million contract with the [[New Orleans Saints]]. The deal included a $3.75 million signing bonus and $6.9 million in guaranteed money.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3273625|title=Roundup: Ex-Pats CB Gay reportedly agrees to contract with Saints|publisher=ESPN|access-date=March 2, 2008|date=March 2, 2008}}</ref> He was a member of the Saints' [[2009 New Orleans Saints season|2009]] [[Super Bowl XLIV]] Championship team.  Gay suffered a concussion early in the [[2010 New Orleans Saints season|2010 season]] that eventually led to him being placed on [[injured reserve]] on October 20, 2010.<ref>James Varney, [http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/10/new_orleans_saints_place_cb_ra.html "New Orleans Saints place CB Randall Gay on injured reserve for 2010"], ''[[Times-Picayune]]'', October 20, 2010.</ref>

Gay was released by New Orleans on July 28, 2011, and retired thereafter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20120721/articles/120729913?p=1&tc=pg|title=Gay shifts attention to retired life|website=HoumaToday.com|access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref>  In 2012, he was a named plaintiff in one of the [[NFL concussion lawsuit|lawsuits]] filed by former players against the NFL regarding the league's history of players suffering [[concussion]]s.<ref>[http://www.wwltv.com/story/sports/nfl/saints/2014/09/03/14532106/ "Ex-Saints CB Randall Gay sues NFL"], [[Associated Press]] at [[WWL-TV]], July 19, 2012.</ref>