Wyatt Ray’s grandfather sang for presidents, broke color barriers and made Capitol Records a music industry giant. His aunt won Grammys.

And while Nat King Cole has been dead for more than 50 years and Natalie Cole died in 2015, Ray still feels a deep emotional bond with them.

“Sometimes, if I really listen to the lyrics, yeah I definitely feel that some of the things he’s saying apply directly to my life,” said Ray, a defensive end/outside linebacker who is projected as a late-round pick in the NFL Draft in April. “Sometimes to just hear his voice, turn the music on and kind of close my eyes and relax, there’s a spiritual connection there.”

When his aunt died on New Year’s Eve 2015, Ray stood in her home in Los Angeles and thought about all the things he wished he’d asked her about the journey to greatness.

“He said, ‘I just want to be great like (her),'” said Ray’s mother, Casey Ray, who was only 3 years old when her father succumbed to lung cancer. St. Patrick’s Day will mark his 100th birthday and his music has been undergoing a revival of late. “The Christmas Song” was downloaded more than ever in 2018, and numerous tributes to Cole will be released this year.

Ray chuckles when asked if he thinks his grandfather’s hit, “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” is a message directed at him.

“Yeah, anytime I get up in the morning and you get up like it’s just another day … sometimes you have to straighten up and go to work,” Ray said.

The path to being unforgettable is not easy.