Ray Bentley starred at Hudsonville High School, Central Michigan University and for a USFL champion Michigan Panthers team before playing for six years and in two Super Bowls with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
He went on to work in broadcasting and did a stint as an Arena Football head coach and general manager for the Buffalo Destroyers. He returned to broadcasting with various networks on television and radio after the AFL, authored a series of children’s books about Darby the Dinosaur and penned a novel called Driftwood about a fictional linebacker playing pro ball in Buffalo. He later returned to the Grand Rapids area with his family, coached recreation and high school football and hosted a popular sports radio show for several years.
Football was part of his life early on. His father, Rahn, was a high school coach at Hudsonville and played for Michigan State University.
Bentley made the 1978 Associated Press All-State football team for Hudsonville. At CMU, he was All-Mid-American Conference and in 1982 was the conference Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. His 443 tackles at CMU set the school record at the time.
He started his 10-year professional career with the Michigan Panthers where he was part of a celebrated championship, and then was All-USFL in his one year with the Oakland Invaders. In 1986, he joined the Buffalo Bills and ended his career in Cincinnati with the Bengals in 1992.