Ray Guy

Ray Guy, widely regarded as the greatest punter in NFL history, passed away Thursday morning following a lengthy illness, his alma mater, Southern Miss, ...

After a 22-year-wait, he joined many of his former teammates in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Prior to joining the Raiders, Guy enjoyed a standout career at Southern Mississippi, where he was the punter, place-kicker and safety for the Golden Eagles from 1970-72. He was named a unanimous All-American following his senior season. An immediate star, Guy was named to his first of six consecutive Pro Bowls during his rookie season. "Ray was a warm, humble Southern gentleman who represented the game, the Raiders organization and the Hall of Fame with dignity and class at all times. Too often overlooked, however, was the man behind his powerful right leg," Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said

The football world today is celebrating the life of Ray Guy, a man of many firsts who proclaimed in his speech as the Pro Football Hall of Fame's first pure ...

“It has been a long and winding road from the farmlands of south Georgia to the hallowed halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Guy said in his Enshrinement speech. “Even though there would be no more games to play, records to set or championships to win, but to be a part of this very special clubhouse called the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and knowing it's forever, is beyond my wildest dreams. Ray Guy was the only one our coaches and scouts agreed on unanimously,” Madden wrote in “Hey Wait a Minute, I Wrote a Book.” Joe Horrigan, the longtime Pro Football Hall of Fame historian, once said of him, “He's the first punter you could look at and say: ‘He won games.’ ” Guy played all of his 207 NFL games with the Raiders. “I was a good athlete and could have been a major league pitcher or an NBA basketball player, but I knew God had something special for me,” Guy said on the day he received his Bronzed Bust. In the 11 seasons after such records began to be kept, he dropped 209 punts inside the 20. Playing in the NFL with the Raiders was my destiny, and I never looked back or questioned my decision.” He also played baseball at an elite level at the University of Southern Mississippi — 266 strikeouts in 220 innings pitched and a no-hitter — but football eventually became his specialty. He doubled as a place-kicker and set the then-NCAA record with a 61-yard field goal against Utah State. Fans of the NFL thank Ray for choosing to focus on football.” “Ray was a warm, humble Southern gentleman who represented the game, the Raiders organization and the Hall of Fame with dignity and class at all times.

Southern Miss Athletics announced Guy's death Thursday morning. He was 73 years old.

I thought then he could be the greatest in the league, but I changed my mind. He appeared in three Super Bowls (XI, XV and XVIII), winning them all, which still stands as the most victories by a punter in league history. His career records include holding the longest punting average in school history of 44.7 yards, while still being at second in career interceptions with 18. He finished his career with a streak of 619 consecutive punts without a block. He had three career punts over 70 yards, including a 93-yarder against the Ole Miss Rebels in 1972. “When we first drafted him, it was a heck of a choice.

The Southern Miss alum was selected to seven Pro Bowls in a 14-year NFL career.

A great athlete aside from his abilities as a punter and kicker, Guy also played defensive back at Southern Miss. He helped lead the team to victories in Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII. During his career, Guy made eight total All-Pro teams, with first-team selections every year from 1973 to ’78, and second team selections the next two seasons.

Ray Guy was selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Oakland Raiders in the 1973 NFL Draft. It was the first time a punter had ever been picked in ...

Guy, the only punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Oakland Raiders in the 1973 NFL Draft. “I thought then he could be the greatest in the league, but I changed my mind. He made the Pro Bowl seven times and was a first-team All-Pro in six different seasons.

Punter Ray Guy of the Oakland Raiders in action punting circa mid 1970's during an NFL football game. Focus On Sport/Getty Images. CNN ...

Ray Guy, arguably the greatest punter of all time, died Thursday morning following a lengthy illness at the age of 72, his alma mater, Southern Mississippi, ...

Ray Guy poses during the 2014 induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio. Guy, a Southern Miss star who went on to play 13 seasons ...