Ray Guy, the greatest punter in the history of professional football, died Thursday following a lengthy illness, his alma mater, Southern Mississippi, announced. He was 72.
In 1973, Guy became the first punter selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the league's history, launching a legendary career that would see him enshrined as the first pure punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
In 1973, Guy became the first punter selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the league's history, launching a legendary career that would see him enshrined as the first pure punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Guy established himself as the game's top punter, leading the NFL in gross punt average in three separate seasons and holding the Raiders record for most career punts (1,049).
Along the way, he dropped 210 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, a total that doesn't include his first three seasons due to the NFL not keeping track of the statistic until 1976.
Legendary Raiders head coach John Madden once referred to Guy as "the best that ever played that position," a conclusion he reached only after overcoming initial surprise that his team would spend a top pick on the position.
Guy also earned a place on the 1970s All-Decade Team, the All-Time NFL Team and the AFL-NFL 1960-1984 All-Star Team. The annual award for college football's top punter, the Ray Guy Award, is named after the venerated special teams ace.
Guy was more than a punter, of course. While at Southern Miss, Guy also played defensive back, and still holds the school's single-season record for most interceptions (eight), set in 1972.
He also maintains the longest punting average in school history at 44.7 yards, and once held the record for longest field goal made (61 yards) in college football history.