Ray Guy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ray Guy

Guy playing for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1985
No. 8
Position:	Punter
Personal information
Born:	(1949-12-22)December 22, 1949 Swainsboro, Georgia
Died:	November 3, 2022(2022-11-03) (aged 72) Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:	Thomson (Thomson, Georgia)
College:	Southern Miss (1969–1972)
NFL Draft:	1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23
Career history
Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1973–1986)
Career highlights and awards
3× Super Bowl champion (XI, XV, XVIII) 6× First-team All-Pro (1973–1978) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1979, 1980) 7× Pro Bowl (1973–1978, 1980) Golden Toe Award (1975) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team First-team All-American (1972) Southern Miss Golden Eagles No. 44 retired
Career NFL statistics
Punts: 1,049 Punting yards: 44,493 Average punt: 42.4 Longest punt: 74 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

William Ray Guy (born December 22, 1949 – died November 3, 2022) was an American football player. He was a punter for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).

Ray Guy was chosen as a first-team All-American in 1972. He was the first punter ever picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Oakland Raiders chose him as the 23rd overall pick in 1973.

He helped the Raiders win three Super Bowl championships. In 2014, Ray Guy was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Many people believe he is the greatest punter of all time.

Early Life and High School Sports

Ray Guy grew up in Thomson, Georgia. He went to Thomson High School. There, he was a star in four different sports.

In football, he played quarterback, safety, linebacker, and tailback. He also handled kicking and punting duties. Ray Guy led Thomson to win the Georgia Class A state football championships in 1967 and 1968. In 1968, his punts averaged an amazing 49.7 yards.

He was also a talented basketball player. The day after the 1968 state football championship, he scored 39 points in a basketball game. In baseball, he was a pitcher. In 1969, he pitched a 15-inning scoreless game in the state playoff semifinals. He was also part of the track team.

College Football Career

Ray Guy played football at the University of Southern Mississippi. He was both a punter and a placekicker. Once, he kicked a 61-yard field goal in a snowstorm. This was a record for the NCAA at the time.

In 1972, he kicked a 93-yard punt in a game against the University of Mississippi. He led the nation with an average of 46.2 yards per punt. This earned him first-team All-American honors. After his senior year, he was named MVP of the 1972 Chicago College All-Star Game.

His career average of 44.7 yards per punt is still a school record. He also played safety at Southern Miss. In his senior year, he made eight interceptions. This set a school record. He was also named an All-American defensive back.

Ray Guy also played baseball at Southern Miss. He was a pitcher who struck out 266 batters in 200 innings. He even pitched a no-hitter.

Professional NFL Career

Ray Guy made history as the first punter ever chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Oakland Raiders picked him 23rd overall in the 1973 draft.

He played his entire career with the Raiders. He was chosen for seven Pro Bowl teams. Six of these were in a row, from 1973 to 1978. He was also named the punter on the NFL's 75th and 100th anniversary teams.

Ray Guy was known for kicking punts that stayed in the air for a very long time. Joe Horrigan, a historian for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said that Guy was the first punter who could "win games" for his team.

In Super Bowl XVIII, Ray Guy punted seven times. Five of his punts landed inside the Washington Redskins' 20-yard line. His excellent punting helped the Los Angeles Raiders win the game easily, 38–9.

After a 1977 game, the Houston Oilers coach, Bum Phillips, wondered if Guy was using illegally inflated footballs. Houston's returner, Billy Johnson, said he had "never seen anyone hang kickoffs like Guy did." He felt the ball was "hanging up there too long."

During his career, Ray Guy was also the Raiders' emergency quarterback. He also handled kickoffs for his first five years.

In his 14-year career, Ray Guy achieved many things:

• He played in 207 games in a row.
• He punted 1,049 times for 44,493 yards. His average was 42.4 yards per punt.
• He had 210 punts land inside the 20-yard line.
• He led the NFL in gross yards per punt three times.
• He had a streak of 619 punts without one being blocked.
• He holds a record of 111 career punts in postseason games.

Hall of Fame Recognition

Ray Guy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2, 2014. For many years, people thought he deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. He was the first punter to be honored this way. As of 2022, he is still the only punter in the Hall. In his speech, he said, "Now the Hall of Fame has a complete team."

He was also inducted into other halls of fame. These include the Mississippi and Georgia Sports Halls of Fame, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Ray Guy Award and Kicking Camps

In 2000, the Greater Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award. This award is given to the best college punter in the nation each year.

In 2005, Ray Guy helped organize kicking camps. These two-day camps were held across the United States. They taught high school punters, placekickers, and long snappers.

Personal Life

Ray Guy was married to Beverly Guy. They had two children, Ryan and Amber.

In 2011, Ray Guy sold his three Super Bowl rings to help with his finances. The rings sold for $96,216.

Ray Guy passed away on November 3, 2022, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He was 72 years old.