Ray Guy finally inducted into Hall of Fame

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Feb. 1, 2014

Raiders great and former punter Ray Guy has finally been inducted into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. Finally.

News broke on Saturday night that Guy will finally make the trip to Canton after waiting 23 years for this moment.

Your 2014 Hall of Fame class: Michael Strahan, Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Aeneas Williams, Andre Reed, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 2, 2014

Guy, now 64 years old, had been named a finalist seven previous times but had yet to receive the necessary 80-percent votes. But Guy had increased hope this year as he was nominated by the Senior Committee. Eight of the last nine Senior Committee nominations have been inducted, though Guy still had to receive 80-percent of the votes. Through the Senior Committee's 42 years of nominating players for enshrinement, 38 of 49 of them were inducted, prior to today.

Guy is the first and only punter to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, going 23rd overall to the Raiders in 1973. Guy is largely considered the best punter of all time finishing with a 42.4 yard average in 207 games with the Raiders. Guy also averaged over 40 yards per punt in 13 of his 14 NFL seasons.

23 years after he first became eligible in 1991, Guy can now say that he is a Hall of Fame punter.

Guy is also the Raiders 22nd Hall of Fame inductee.

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