Punter Ray Guy Also Once Kicked a Then-NCAA Record 61-yard Field Goal, and Pitched a No-Hitter

February 4, 2020 by Staff and rayguyaward.com

NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Conbgovre is a voting member of the Ray Guy Award.

Ray Guy did more than pave a career, he pioneered one. Drafted out of Thompson High School to play professional baseball, the Georgia native chose instead to continue a football path at the University of Southern Mississippi where his accomplishments are legendary. In his first collegiate game in 1970, Guy booted a 77 yard punt against Southwest Louisiana, the second longest in school history.

Over his collegiate career, Guy would have three punts over 70 yards, including a 93-yarder against Ole Miss in 1972, the same year he was the NCAA's leading punter with a 46.2 yard average. Over three seasons, Guy averaged 44.7 yards for 200 punts, the fifth best in NCAA history. Find the top American online casinos.

The versatile Guy was also an outstanding field goal kicker, hitting 25 in his career and once kicking a 61-yarder, setting an NCAA record at the time. Guy also worked as a back-up quarterback, and would double as a safety where he finished his senior season with a record-setting eight interceptions.

In 1972, Guy was a unanimous choice for All-American.

Ray is also recognized as one of USM's best baseball pitchers and pitched one of only four no hitters in school history. He was elected into the USM Sports Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1978. Here's where you'll find the online sports betting you're looking for.

In 1973, Ray Guy became the first pure punter selected in the first round of the NFL draft. No one in the history of football has ever punted a ball as far or as accurately or as high as Guy. His punts would often hang in the air for so long, that the NFL invented a new punt statistic known as hang time. In 14 years with the Raider's organization, Guy was an integral part of propelling them to three Super Bowl titles. He also appeared in seven pro bowls, was named the 75th anniversary All-Time Team, the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team and the 1970's All-Decade Team.

Guy has been inducted into both the Mississippi and Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. To culminate a monumental career, on August 2, 2014, Ray Guy became the first pure punter ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, further solidifying his moniker as the greatest punter ever.