Punter Ray Guy, who played for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders in the 1970s and 1980s, has been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Guy is the first dedicated punter to be so honored.
The NFL Hall of Fame does a good job of trying to honor exceptional players, but let’s face it, some positions just lend themselves to glory and honor better than others in the game of football. We’re always going to see the lion’s share of inductees from the quarterback, running back and wide receiver position in the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton. Still, the powers that be voting for inductees know the game well enough to realize that skill position players can’t do what they do without linemen and other important role players. For the most part, they do a reasonably good job of making sure the best of the best make their way into Canton regardless of position.
Unless, of course, the player happens to be a punter. In one sense, it’s understandable. Nobody goes out to buy their favorite punter’s jersey. Nobody’s happy to see the punter when he jogs onto the field except the other team’s fans. Still, those who know football know that games — especially close games — are often won and lost depending on which team’s special teams unit outplays the other. Nobody wants their team to punt, but when it’s necessary, having a Ray Guy who can put the ball right where he wants it 50 to 60 yards down the field goes a long way towards keeping your team in the game.
This isn’t Ray Guy’s first time being a trailblazer. According to an NBC Sports report , when the Raiders used their first draft choice to pick Ray in 1973, it was the first time a punter had been chosen in the first round of the draft. Guy’s careers took off like a shot, and he was selected for the All-Pro first team each of his first six seasons.
Ray Guy punted the ball over 1,000 times in his NFL career. Only three of his punts were blocked. According to a New York Times report , Guy’s coach, John Madden, had this to say of the punter’s contribution to the Raiders:
“When we got Ray Guy, fourth down wasn’t as bad as it used to be. He broke through into the Hall of Fame and opens that road for other punters.”
Whether Ray Guy deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been a matter of debate for years. Some have argued that punters’ contributions aren’t significant enough to consider them for the Hall. Others have suggested that other punters should be considered above Ray Guy. Still, it’s hard to imagine any punter having the sort of impact that Ray Guy did when he joined the Oakland Raiders . Guy, who is also in the Hall of Fame as a member of the All 1970s Squad, was especially well-known for his high punts that seemed to stay aloft all day long, giving his teammates more time to get downfield to minimize returns.
For his part, Ray Guy had this to say about his contribution:
“The good Lord gave me the ability to do that (punt the football so that it had extra-long hang time), but I wasn’t punting for myself; I was punting for the other 10 guys on the field.”
Congratulations, Ray Guy. Punters everywhere now know it’s possible to make it into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton.
[Photo via Bing]
