ɹˈeɪ wʌz nˌɑːt sᵻlˈɛktᵻd ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi ˈeɪt ˌɛnˌɛfˈɛl dɹˈæft, ænd bɪkˌeɪm ðə sˈʌbdʒɛkt əvə fɹˈiː ˈeɪdʒənt bˈɪdɪŋ wˈɔːɹ bᵻtwˌiːn dʒˈɔːɹdʒ hˈɑːləz ʌvðə ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊ bˈɛɹz ænd kˈɜːli lˈæmboʊ ʌvðə pˈækɚz.
Ray was not selected in the 1938 NFL Draft, and became the subject of a free agent bidding war between George Halas of the Chicago Bears and Curly Lambeau of the Packers.