This is a series based on the question posed above: players that are worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame but for some reason have not been.
Ray Guy—Punter for Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders 1973–1986
Some might say he is a punter and shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame because punters are insignificant and don’t have a real impact on a game. I wouldn’t agree with that statement and I would argue that his career statistics prove that statement incorrect.
Let’s ponder a punter's importance for a moment. I take you back to Super Bowl XVIII—arguably his best performance—against the Washington Redskins. When the Raiders' offense faltered just outside the range of placekicker Chris Bahr, Guy, known for his power, showed a great deal of finesse by booting a 27-yard punt that pinned the Redskins on their own 12-yard line late in the first half.
On the very next play, Raiders’ linebacker Jack Squirek intercepted Washington QB Joe Theisman and ran it in for a touchdown that gave them a 21-3 halftime lead. The Raiders would eventually win 38-9.
He was the first pure punter drafted in the first round. Several experts scoffed at the selection and said that the Raiders made a mistake in selecting him in the first round. Listed below are just some of career accolades.
- Played in 207 consecutive games
- Punted 1,049 times for 44,493 yards, averaging 42.4 yards per punt, with a 33.8 net yards average
- Had 210 punts inside the 20-yard line (Not counting his first three seasons, when the NFL didn’t keep track of this stat), with just 128 touchbacks
- Led the NFL in punting three times
- Had a streak of 619 consecutive punts before having one blocked
- Has a record of 111 career punts in post season games
- Had five punts of over 60 yards during the 1981 season
- Never had a punt returned for a touchdown
Ray Guy was selected to seven AFC Pro Bowl teams and was the punter on the National Football Leagues 75th anniversary team in 1994. He was a nine time All-Pro selection and was a key member on three Super Bowl championship teams.
He was named to the NFL’s 1970’s All Decade Team. He has been inducted to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1994 he was the first pure punter to be nominated for enshrinement.
He was an outstanding placekicker at Southern Mississippi University, once kicking a then-record 61-yard field goal in a snowstorm during a game in Utah. Upon completion of his senior season at Southern Mississippi, he was named the MVP of the annual college All-Star game. This was when a group of senior college All-Stars would play the Super Bowl champion.
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