Photo: Tony Dejak/AP Photo

Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy poses during the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, in Canton, Ohio. Ray Guy, the first punter to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, following a lengthy illness. He had been receiving care in a Hattiesburg, Miss. area hospice. He was 72.

Ray Guy, considered one of the best punters to ever grace a football field, died Thursday at 72.

The Las Vegas Raiders announced the Hall of Famer’s death in a message to social media on Thursday calling him “the best of the best.” The team did not announce a cause of death.

“Ray Guy is a legend in every sense of the word,” atweetfrom his alma mater, Southern Miss, said on Thursday. “One of the most amazing athletes to ever play at Southern Miss, yet one of the most down-to-earth, humble people you will ever meet.”

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Ray Guy #8 of the Oakland Raiders punts the ball during an NFL football game circa 1980. Guy played for the Raiders from 1973-86.

Former NFL punter Ray Guy with his bust during the NFL Class of 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Fawcett Stadium on August 2, 2014 in Canton, Ohio.

Guy was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

“I never really had a teacher, a coach or a special camp to attend to learn the art of punting,” Guy said during hisPro Football Hall of Fame speech. “My high school coach, Paul Leroy, showed me two things about foot alignment and ball placement. That was pretty much it. All through high school and college I played other positions as well. I was a good athlete and could have been a Major League pitcher or an NBA basketball player, but I knew God had something special for me.”

“And eventually one sport would stand out beyond the rest, and it did,” he added. “Playing in the NFL with the Raiders was my destiny, and I never looked back or questioned my decision.”

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During his speech, Guy said he hoped he could pave the wave for more punters to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.

“I hope I inspire young punters to achieve their dreams to one day play in the NFL and maybe even be elected into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “It’s been a long, long overdue, but now the Hall of Fame has a complete team. Punters are a very important part of the team, regardless how many times they step on to the field. It only takes one play to change the outcome of a game. So punters, keep the faith. You are an important part of every game.”

source: people.com