Raiders' legend and seven time Pro Bowler, Ray Guy, was once again left off of the ballot for induction into Canton this year. Guy, who spent fourteen seasons with the Raiders and played in all three of their Super Bowl victories, was once again eligible for induction but did not make the 25 man semi-finalist cut. Guy has made it as a finalist seven times since his eligibility for the Hall in 1992.
Of all the starting positions in football, punter is the only one that is not represented in the HoF. All 23 other positions are recognized in Canton, as well as coaches, administrators and owners. The only punters that have made it in were players that were recognized for their production at other positions, as in the case with former Redskins' quarterback Sammy Baugh.
Guy still holds the title of being the first and only punter ever drafted in the first round. He led the league in gross average three times during the span of his fourteen year career and finished with an impressive 42.4 yard lifetime average.
Guy was a master at being able to pin the opposing team way back due to the ridiculous "hang time" on his kicks. Guy's punts bought the Raiders' special teams more than enough time to rush down field and cover the return. Unfortunately, the NFL didn't start gathering more complete statistics on punters until 1976, which was Guy's 4th season in the league. In his first three seasons, which were also his best, the NFL didn't keep track of touchbacks or punt return yards gained against a punter. If they had, Guy would have been dominant over the rest of the league. While his career average was impressive, it was his lofty kicks that made him a standout, and arguably the best to ever play the position.
So why isn't Guy in the Hall of Fame yet? Many argue it's because a punter is purely a situational player and doesn't score any points. Others say it's because his stats alone aren't worthy of giving him the edge over other more deserving players. The primary statistic used to determine a punter's success is net average. This goes against Guy, since he never achieved higher than second place in this category throughout his entire career.
If you ask any Raiders fan, we'll tell you it's huge injustice. There is absolutely no reason for the punter position to be continually ignored by the voters, and who could possibly be more deserving of such an honor than Ray Guy.
Here's what Hall of Fame cornerback and Raiders legend Willie Brown had to say regarding Guy's absence in the Hall of Fame and Kansas City's former place kicker Jan Stenerud's induction. Stenerud remains the only kicker in Canton.
“We knew no matter what happened in a game, Guy would be able to pin the other team back. He had more of an impact on our team than Stenerud had on Kansas City."
For more information on Guy and his perennial exclusion from Canton, check out this article by KC Joyner of the NY Times.
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