Ray Guy, a punter with the Raiders and a member of the Hall of Fame, passes away at age 72. Let’s find out what happened to him and Ray Guy cause of death in detail
How did Ray Guy die?
As a punter, Ray Guy earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In that one sentence, his magnificence may be summed up. Guy received more respect than others who play offense or defense because he is a punter.
Since he made his debut with the Oakland Raiders about fifty years ago, he is regarded as the best punter who has ever lived and the standard for the position. The Ray Guy Award is given to the top punter in college football, which is significant.
According to the NFL and Southern Miss University, Guy passed away at the age of 72. He passed away early on Thursday morning, according to Southern Miss.
Ray Guy cause of death
The greatest NFL kicker to ever play, Ray Guy, a punter in the Hall of Fame, went yesterday at the age of 73. His demise was announced on Thursday by the University of Southern Mississippi following a protracted illness.
The university tweeted “Forever our legend” along with a picture of Guy. USM did not specify what ailment
His son Ryan stated that advanced-stage chronic obstructive lung disease was Ray Guy’s cause of death
Before being chosen in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft, the Georgia native played school athletics from 1969 to 1972 and earned All-America honors.
He wore the silver and black from 1973 to 1986, representing the Oakland Raiders for the duration of his NFL playing career.
For his career, he was selected for eight separate All-Pro teams, making the first team every year from 1973 to 1978 and the second team two years after.
Additionally, he participated in seven Pro Bowls and went on to be selected for the 1970s All-Decade Team, the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, and the 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams of the NFL.
The Ray Guy Award, which was given for the first time in 2000, is given to the top collegiate punter in the country.
Ray Guy: Legend football player
William Ray Guy was an American retired professional football player who punted for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League from December 22, 1949, to November 3, 2022. (NFL).
When the Oakland Raiders picked Guy with the 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft, he had already been selected as an undisputed All-American as a senior at the University of Southern Mississippi. The guy was the first pure punter to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
2014 saw Guy become a member of the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Guy, an eight-time NFL All-Pro, is regarded as the best punter of all time.
He became the first pure punter and just the second pure kicker (after Jan Stenerud) to be honored with a Hall of Fame induction on August 2, 2014.
Early life
The guy was a four-sport star at Thomson High School in Thomson, Georgia. In addition to kicking and punting, Guy played quarterback, safety, linebacker, and tailback while guiding Thomson to Class A state football titles in 1967 and 1968. In 1968, Guy averaged 49.7 yards per punt.
Guy, who had no practice the day after the 1968 state championship football game, scored 39 points while playing basketball for Thomson. The guy pitched a 15-inning, shutout baseball game for Thomson in the 1969 state tournament semifinals.
The astonishing playing career of Ray Guy
In addition to being chosen for seven AFC Pro Bowl squads, Ray Guy was selected as the punter for the National Football League’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994.
At Southern Mississippi, he was a standout placekicker as well. During a game in Utah, he famously kicked a then-record 61-yard field goal in a snowstorm.
Guy won the award for Most Valuable Player of the annual College All-Star game, in which an all-star team of college seniors competed against the reigning Super Bowl champion, following his senior year at Southern Miss.
Additionally, Guy excelled at kicking and was a starting safety in college. He set a USM record with eight interceptions during his senior year, earning All-American defensive back honors. Guy used to play quarterback in his youth as well. He set a USM record with eight interceptions during his senior year, earning All-American defensive back honors.
In his younger years, Guy also played quarterback, and ironically, he took George Blanda’s place as the Oakland Raiders’ last-resort emergency quarterback.
Ray Guy – A PERFECT GAME CHANGER
Early in his career, Guy occasionally handled kickoffs for the Raiders because the aging Blanda no longer had outstanding range. This was during the time that Blanda was still with the Raiders.
Ray Guy has been admitted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and the Sports Halls of Fame of Georgia and Mississippi, and many believe he should also be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the first pure punter to receive an enshrinement nomination in 1994.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame historian Joe Horrigan reportedly remarked: “He’s the first punter you could look at and say: “He won games.” Guy was the first punter to touch the Louisiana Superdome television screen at the Pro Bowl in 1976. From 90 feet to 100 feet, the screen was increased by officials.
Ray Guy was well-known for his punts with long hang times; once, one of his opponents pulled the ball and had it checked for helium after he punted it. During his tenure, the NFL also implemented the hang time statistic—possibly as a result of him. Guy was admitted to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame on April 21, 2008.
Ray Guy Punting Instruction
Personal life
Guy’s family, including his wife and children, has remained out of the public eye. This is what we do know:
Guy and his wife Beverly have two daughters, Ryan and Amber, to whom he attributed some of his success. Beverly may not be well-known, but she supported her husband’s career the entire time.
The Raiders punter was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014; during his speech, he made emotional references to his parents and mentioned his family.
According to Bloomberg, Guy was forced to put his Super Bowl rings up for sale after declaring bankruptcy on August 14, 2011.
Ray Guy and family #Raiders pic.twitter.com/mG3E0P7fI7
— James Lofton (@lofton80) November 21, 2014
Tributes and condolences were paid to Ray Guy’s demise
I was lucky enough to meet him. He lived next door to my grandmothers work, he had a St Bernard, most yards in Alameda were small, his was about 30 sq ft. We gained a dog. The problem was the dog was used to playing with football players, not puny guys like me. (middle) pic.twitter.com/OqgjKX1AGL
— Bruce Umene (@BUmene) November 4, 2022
Dima tweeted,
Southern Miss has announced that legendary punter Ray Guy has passed away this morning. Sending prayers to his family and friends. Ray Guy was born on Sept. 22, 1949, he was 73.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Ray Guy. The greatest punter of all time!! pic.twitter.com/I52JoRSW2m
— Big Gold Nation (@BigGoldNation) November 3, 2022
Vic tweeted,
RIP Ray Guy. Really enjoyed my time talking to the #Raiders Hall of Famer over the years. He was a football player, a real athlete who happened to be a great punter.
Ray Guy was an athlete pic.twitter.com/MydWa5s51q
— Carey Sasser (@Carey_Sasser) November 3, 2022
Field tweeted,
Ray Guy, a 3-time Super Bowl champion, 6-time First Team All Pro and the first pure punter inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has passed away at the age of 73. Guy was considered by many to be the greatest punter of all time. RIP.
NFL Hall of Famer Ray Guy — the most legendary punter of all time — passed away at 73 years old. https://t.co/v5eP0Zx8an
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 3, 2022
Kelly tweeted,
He was the ultimate when I was a kid. Used his techniques to win some punt, pass and kick trophies.
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/C6k1hN4LCH
— Southern Miss Football (@SouthernMissFB) November 3, 2022
70S Sports tweeted,
Super Sky Point to Ray Guy, the only punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the namesake of the yearly award for the best collegiate punter. You are now pinned inside your own 10-yard line just for reading this tweet. #RIP
KEEP READING,
Who is Ibtisam Hassan? Meet the red shirt man who saved Imran khan
Who shot Pakistan’s Ex PM Imran Khan? Motive behind the shooting Explained
Follow us on Twitter for more updates.
Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.