Former Sacramento State quarterback Ricky Ray re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers last Wednesday.

Ray first signed with the 49ers during training camp earlier in the summer and was ultimately cut before the season started. What he didn?t expect was to be back with the organization this soon.

“I didn?t really know if I would ever get a chance with the 49ers,” Ray said. “It worked out, and I got another chance with the 49ers.”

Ray was raised in Shasta, California and grew up a 49ers fan.

“It?s awesome. They are a great organization,” Ray said. “It?s really special.”

Ray, who replaced former University of California, Davis standout Kevin Daft on the 49ers roster, will be the third-string quarterback.

Being in the professional ranks will be a test for Ray since his role will be a little different. Ray will now learn from watching starting quarterback Jeff Garcia.

“It?s more of a mental thing than a physical thing right now,” Ray said. “There is a lot of stuff you can learn by watching (Garcia).”

Sac State Head football coach John Volek knows that having Ray succeed and go onto the next level is good for the program as well.

“It means a lot,” Volek said. “All the new players coming in and seeing (Ray) succeed, it shows that we can take them to the next level.”

Whatever Ray learned from college football will now have to be applied tenfold to survive in the NFL.

“It?s for real now,” Ray said. “It?s a business up here. There is not a lot of security involved here.”

Ray started out at Shasta Junior College before transferring to Sac State as a junior.

In his second year at Shasta, Ray was named the California Junior College Offensive Player of the Year.

Ray completed 60 percent of his passes, threw 199 consecutive passes without an interception and went 15 straight games with a touchdown pass while at Shasta.Volek attributes Ray?s maturity as a quarterback to his time spent in junior college.

“We looked a lot at him in high school,” Volek said. “But we couldn?t get a feel of (Ray) until we saw film of him in junior college.”

Ray transferred to Sac State his junior year and picked up where he left off in Shasta.

During his two years with the Hornets, Ray missed just one game.

After he injured his knee in the final pre-season game, Ray missed the first game of his junior season. Ray went on to compile a 13-9 record, and 8-8 in the Big Sky Conference for the Hornets.

“He brought a real calmness to our program, and confidence. He brought wins and a winning attitude.”

During Ray?s tenure with Sac State, he threw for 4,622 yards, third best total in school history.

He ranks first in career completion percentage at .619, and threw for 33 passing touchdowns, third best in school history.

At the same time that Ray was with Sac State, so was running back Charles Roberts. This was a benefit as the defense had to keep an eye on Roberts, allowing Ray to play the run along with the pass.

“All those stats are great. I put those numbers up with Charles there,” Ray said. “Charles was the focus when I was there. To be able to put up numbers like that is pleasing.”

Looking back on his two years at Sac State, there was one thing Ray would have changed the games the team lost in crunch time.

“We lost a lot of games we should have won. When I think back at Sac State, we didn?t get the job done in the fourth quarter.”

School was not just throwing passes and scoring touchdowns for Ray. He was there for an education.

Ray took the classroom just as serious as his precision throws downfield.

“It was very important to get an education. The only reason I went to schoolwas to get a degree,” he said. “I think the most important thing was to go to class everyday.You have to use your time wisely and take care of your priorities.”

Ray earned his bachelor?s degree in Marketing and during his senior year was named the university?s Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

“He was such a talent, a pleasure from a standpoint that he did everything right. He made (the offense) go,” Volek said.

For now, Ray will push on and do whatever it takes to stay an NFL player.

“I am taking every minute with the 49ers seriously,” Ray said.”I would like to continue playing as long as I can keep improving and have fun doing it.”