Raiders legend, Hall of Famer Ray Guy dies at 72

The Las Vegas Raiders lost one of their franchise legends this morning, as Ray Guy passed away after fighting an illness. His alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the NFL announced Thursday morning that Guy, 72, passed away.

Guy is considered by many to be the greatest punter of all time, and rightfully so. He was the first-ever punter drafted in the first round, as the Raiders selected him with the 23rd overall pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. He played all of his 14 seasons (1973-1986) in the NFL with the Raiders, where he was a seven-time Pro-Bowler, two-time First Team All-Pro, and one-time Second Team All-Pro.

During his time with the Raiders, Guy won three Super Bowls. In Super Bowl XVIII, which the Raiders won 38-9 over the then Washington Redskins, Guy had an impressive stat line of seven punts for a 42.7 yard average, five of which landed inside the 20.

In 2014, Guy was the first primary punter to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was the first-ever punter to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Guy’s accomplishments are grand, but his best trait is being a pioneer for punters today. He broke the barriers and became the first punter for many things, such as being a first-round pick and being inducted into the NFL and College Football Hall of Fames. He gave hope to punters all over the world that they can make it.

His statistics of punting net yards and average aren’t eye-popping, but Guy is still considered by many the greatest punter of all time. His legacy will forever live on in the Raiders family and in the NFL. Ray Guy was truly a legendary Raider.