Ray Guy

William Ray Guy

• Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 195 lb.
• School University of Southern Mississippi
• High School Thomson (GA) High School

• Born December 22, 1949 in Swainsboro, GA USA
• Death November 3, 2022 in Hattiesburg, MS USA

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Ray Guy was drafted four times as a pitcher, but opted for football, where he became a Hall of Famer.

Guy was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 14th round of the 1969 amateur draft out of high school but went on to college instead. In the secondary phase of the June 1971 amateur draft, he was picked by the Houston Astros. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 17th round of the 1972 amateur draft. Finally, the Reds took him again in the third round of the January 1973 amateur draft. He struck out 260 in 220 2/3 IP in college, completing 14 of 31 starts. Despite pitching just 31 games, he was 4th in school history in strikeouts through 2004. He tossed a no-hitter against William Carey University in his final season.    

For all his dominance on the mound, Guy was even better in football, setting school records for interceptions in a season (8), longest field goal (61 yards, a NCAA record at the time) and punting average (44.7 yards per kick, tops in the nation in 1972). He was the first punter inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, in 2004. The was also the first punter ever to be picked in the first round of the NFL draft. He made seven Pro Bowls for the Oakland Raiders, averaging 42.4 yards per punt and leading the NFL in punting three times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Sources

• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Southern Miss
• Augusta Chronicle