(WJBF) – Punting legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame player Ray Guy died Thursday morning at the age of 73.
Guy, who was born in Swainsboro, Georgia, played for the University of Southern Mississippi before becoming the first pure punter in the history of the NFL draft to be picked in the first round. He played with the Raiders (first in Oakland, then in Los Angeles) for the duration of his professional career between 1973 and 1986.
"The Southern Miss family mourns today following the passing of Golden Eagle great Ray Guy, who died Thursday morning following a lengthy illness," reads an obituary posted by his alma mater.
FILE - In this Jan. 25, 1981 file photo, Oakland Raiders punter Ray Guy kicks against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV in New Orleans. Those anxious seconds for punt returners awaiting his booming kicks were nothing compared to the more than two decades Guy had to endure before finally getting the call that he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - In this Dec. 28, 1975, file photo, Oakland Raiders kicker Ray Guy (8) is hugged by teammate Neal Colzie in the closing seconds of the Raiders 31-28 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in a divisional playoff game in Oakland, Calif. Those anxious seconds for punt returners awaiting his booming kicks were nothing compared to the more than two decades Guy had to endure before finally getting the call that he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/File)
Former Oakland Raiders punter Ray Guy waves during a ceremony honoring his induction into the pro football Hall of Fame during halftime of an NFL football game between the Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Inductee Ray Guy talks during the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy, left, and presenter John Madden pose with the bust during the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Ray Guy, punter and defensive back Southern Mississippi, 1970-1972, celebrates a touchdown during a flag football game at the College Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005, in South Bend, Ind. Guy will be enshrined Saturday night. At right is referee Jason Kelly. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)
Los Angeles Raiders punter Ray Guy leaps in the air to snare the ball after a high snap during second quarter action in Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 22, 1984. Guy caught the ball and got off a successful punt tothe Washington Redskins. The Raiders went on to win the game 38-9. (AP Photo)
During his time in the NFL, Guy was named All-Pro eight times — six as a first-team All Pro — and appeared in the Pro Bowl seven times. He also earned three Super Bowl rings with the Raiders, during the 1976, 1980 and 1983 seasons.
After a lengthy wait, he was finally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, becoming the first pure punter to ever earn that honor. He's also a member of the Bay Area, College Football, Southern Miss M-Club, Mississippi, Georgia and National High School Sports Hall of Fames. The Augusta Sports Council, too, gives out the "Ray Guy Award" each year to the best punter in college football.
John Madden, the head coach of the Oakland Raiders during Guy's first years in the NFL, also once said Guy punted "the longest, highest footballs that I had ever seen" during his first-ever practice with the team.
He was "the best that ever played the position," Madden once remarked, per the NFL.
