Education
Blenda Gay attended H. B. Sugg High School in Farmville, North Carolina. After high school he attended Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Blenda Gay attended H. B. Sugg High School in Farmville, North Carolina. After high school he attended Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
There he started on the football team winning all-CIAA and Division II All-American. Gay was drafted in the 1973 NFL supplemental draft by the Oakland Raiders but was cut in training camp. He was picked up in 1974 by the San Diego Chargers and saw action in two games.
He had also played for a semi-pro football team called the Model City Diplomats for $75 per game.
In 1975, Gay was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles where he became a regular fixture on the defensive line for two seasons. Gay played in every regular season game for the Eagles in both 1975 and 1976.
In December, 1976, Roxanne Gay cut her husband"s throat as he slept, killing him. She was charged with the murder by the Camden County, New Jersey district attorney.
Camden police indicated that she had made over 20 calls to the police in three and a half years.
The case became a cause celebre for the feminist movement due to the allegations of long-term domestic violence. Gloria Steinem and Mississippi magazine helped raise money for her defense. Mississippi Magazine alleged that when Roxanne called the police, officers would often discuss football with Blenda.
Ultimately, Roxanne Gay was determined to be schizophrenic and confined to the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.
All charges were dropped. She was released in 1980.