BC Lions (first stint) Rayford declared for the
2008 NFL draft, but was not selected and began his career as an
undrafted free agent. He was signed by the
BC Lions of the
Canadian Football League after having a
free agent workout. He spent all of the season on the
practice squad. He was released before the start of the season on June 25, 2009.
Spokane Shock On July 7, 2009, Rayford joined the
Spokane Shock of the
AF2 league. He appeared in 3 games (2 starts), collecting 2 tackles (2 for loss), one sack and two pass breakups. He was a part of the
ArenaCup X Championship team.
BC Lions (second stint) On November 12, 2009, the
BC Lions added Rayford to the practice roster. He was promoted to the active roster on November 13. He played in two playoff games as a backup
defensive end, making one tackle. He wasn't re-signed after the season.
Utah Blaze In 2010, he signed with the
Utah Blaze of the
Arena Football League. He recorded 16 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions (returned for 2
touchdowns), 4 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. In 2011, he started 17 out of 18 games, posting 31 tackles, 10 sacks (tied for sixth in the league), 12 tackles for loss (fourth in the league), 7 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. He also blocked an AFL single-season record five kicks. In 2012, the Blaze's
defensive line was coined "Sack Lake City" due to the tremendous amount of pressure and sacks they applied to
quarterbacks. In a game against the
Iowa Barnstormers, the Blaze recorded a league record 11 sacks in one game, led by the combination of Rayford and
Mike Lewis with 3.5 sacks each. He finished with 18 starts, 21 tackles (7 for loss), 7.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. In 2013, he registered 13 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 2 blocked kicks. He finished with 68 tackles (26.5 for loss), 22.5 sacks, 16 passes defensed, 7 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns and 6 blocked kicks.
Indianapolis Colts On May 23, 2013, Rayford signed as a
free agent with the
Indianapolis Colts to play as an
outside linebacker on the team's
3-4 defense.
Dallas Cowboys On September 3, 2013, the
Dallas Cowboys acquired him from the Colts after he had a notable preseason, in exchange of a seventh round draft choice (#244-
Trenton Brown). He played in 7 games, before being cut on November 12 and signed to the
practice squad. He was released by the team on August 30, 2014.
Calgary Stampeders Rayford was signed to the Calgary Stampeders' practice roster on September 23, 2014. He was released by the Stampeders on September 26, 2014.
Montreal Alouettes Rayford was signed to the Montreal Alouettes' practice roster on October 27, 2014. He was promoted to the active roster on November 1. He was released by the Alouettes on November 24. He spent the entire 2014 season on the Other League Exempt list. He was activated by the Sharks on January 6, 2015.
Minnesota Vikings On April 2, 2015, he was signed as a
free agent by the
Minnesota Vikings. He was cut on August 30.
Los Angeles KISS On November 18, 2015, he was assigned to the
Los Angeles KISS of the
Arena Football League. He tallied 3 tackles and one pass defensed. On January 7, 2016, he was placed on the Other League Exempt list.
Saskatchewan Roughriders On January 7, 2016, Rayford signed with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was released on June 12.
Tampa Bay Storm On October 14, 2016, Rayford was selected by the
Tampa Bay Storm of the
Arena Football League during the dispersal draft. He had 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, one forced fumble, one blocked kick and one interception returned for a touchdown. The franchise folded in December 2017. ==Personal life==