Ray Guy

William Ray Guy (December 22, 1949 – November 3, 2022) was an American professional football punter who played for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. Raised in Thomson, Georgia, Guy was a four-sport star at Thomson High School, where he played quarterback, safety, linebacker, and tailback in addition to his kicking and punting duties. He led Thomson to Georgia Class A state football championships in 1967 and 1968 and averaged 49.7 yards per punt in 1968. He was also a basketball standout, once scoring 39 points in a game.

At Southern Miss, Guy earned first-team All-American honors in 1972 as a senior for the Golden Eagles. In the 1973 NFL draft, the Raiders selected him 23rd overall, making him the only pure punter ever taken in the first round. He spent his entire professional career with the franchise in Oakland and Los Angeles, winning three Super Bowls and earning All-Pro recognition eight times.

Guy was elected to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. With his induction on August 2, 2014, he became the first pure punter enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He died on November 3, 2022.