Ray Guy - Class of 2014

As some of you may know, I was in Canton, Ohio for the Hall of Fame weekend! I flew out from Wyoming to celebrate Ray Guy's induction into football immortality.

I was fortunate enough to have been interviewed by Adam Rank before the ceremony started. We talked about Ray, what this means for punters, as well as... football jerseys?...

It was also nice to see old teammates supporting Guy! Phil Villapiano and I shared a few laughs before the ceremony began:

Ray's speech was from the heart, and it really had the crowd (especially the former NFL punters in attendance) excited. Guy talked about his induction being a 'new beginning' for punters.

The following day, I paid a visit to the room full of past and present busts. Recognize this face?

To top it all off, Guy spotted me wearing his jersey after his very own Hall of Fame visit and took the time to shake my hand:

Ladies and gentlemen, over more than two decades since his nomination, it is my pleasure to finally say:

Ray Guy is a Hall of Fame punter.

Ray Guy Tribute...

After years of writing and petitioning, Ray Guy has finally received the call into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was an incredible moment to see him walk across the stage at the NFL Honor Awards and finally be recognized for his achievements.

I want to thank the writers over the years who took up interest in Guy's cause that I was so passionate about. These men helped garner attention for him, as well as his Hall of Fame credentials:

- Chris Gay - Augusta Chronicle

- Mike Beacom - Pro Sports Weekly

- Les Carpenter - Yahoo Sports

I would like to thank NFL fans and Raider Nation for backing this campaign from day one, and doing so with enthusiasm. People started Facebook pages, fans shared stories, they began to write letters themselves, and it was obvious the people believed that the Hall was more than ready for a punter.

Lastly, I want to thank the Hall of Fame selection committee members who took their time to communicate with me over the years and update me on the situation regarding Guy. I especially want to thank the Senior Committee members for recognizing Ray Guy's impact on the game, and nominating him alongside Claude Humphrey.

The induction of Ray Guy means a lot; not just for Guy, but for punters at all levels of the game. They now know that the position is recognized, not just as a punter, but as a football player. Better yet, the new generation of kids playing the position will have faith that if they play well enough, they can be recognized just like every other position. The punting position has never been given enough respect, and Guy's induction changes all of that.  The barrier has been broken, and it should only help special teams players past, present and future.

I look forward to attending the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and hope to see a lot of you there. I have been wanting to walk into the room full of busts one last time to see Ray Guy's likeliness among them. John Madden famously stated that he believes that when the lights go off at night, the busts talk to one another. It sounds silly of course, but a part of me wishes it was true, too...

The lights go off. The sound of footsteps fade away into the distance. The doors slam shut.

Silence.

Al Davis looks across the room at Guy...

'...and to think people thought I was crazy'...

RAY GUY INDUCTED INTO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME!!!

Tonight at the NFL Honor awards, the class of 2014 was announced:

- Michael Strahan

- Derrick Brooks

- Andre Reed

- Aeneas Williams

- Walter Jones

- Claude Humphrey

- RAY GUY

Ladies and gentlemen, Ray Guy is officially a Pro Football Hall of Fame member. Is there really any more to say?

One Week...

We are now just one week away from finding out whether or not Ray Guy will join the football immortals.

One Week.

Although he has been a finalist seven times, the Senior Committee could finally close the door on what Raider Nation, as well as NFL fans, have been wanting for a long time.

If elected into the Hall of Fame, I will be there. I have already booked my tickets and have the trip ready to go.

So should Guy.

Seven of the last eight senior committee nominations have gone on to the Hall of Fame, and his chances this year have been the best yet. There is nobody more deserving of this honor than Guy, and I am optimistic that he will be the first pure punter ever to be elected into the Hall of Fame.

Guy is said to be reserved, but I hope he begins to think about what he will say in his speech soon; what he will say to Raider fans, NFL fans, and punters at all levels of the game. I hope Ray has someone in mind as whom he would like to have represent him at his inauguration as well.

I may be getting ahead of myself, but time will tell.

One Week.

Modern-Era Finalists...

Congratulations to the 15 modern-era finalists named by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Committee on Thursday Night:

(List provided by NFL.com)

Morten Andersen 
Jerome Bettis 
Derrick Brooks 
Tim Brown 
Edward DeBartolo 
Tony Dungy 
Kevin Greene 
Charles Haley 
Marvin Harrison 
Walter Jones 
John Lynch 
Andre Reed 
Will Shields 
Michael Strahan 
Aeneas Williams

On February 1st, we will learn the names of the men who will go on to be inducted into professional football immortality. I am very excited about Ray Guy's chance of making it into the hall this year; the announcement can't come soon enough! 

Many feel that this is finally the year that Guy's name will be called, and if so, would have the distinction of being the first ever pure punter inducted by the Hall. Ray is most deserving of such an honor, and I believe the Senior Committee has recognized this.

It's time for Ray to receive the call.

Through the Eyes of the Fan...

I was recently contacted by a longtime Oakland Raiders fan who informed me that he saw Guy numerous times during his illustrious fourteen-year career, including Super Bowl 18. I had asked David Winderbaum if he could share a story or two about Guy, and what stood out to him the most during his NFL tenure. He went on to say this:

'What always amazed me about Ray, was that during warm-ups, his punts actually reached the level of the stadium roof. This man was a weapon. What actually amazed me was that in many games the Raiders actually would play for the punt, pinning their opposition inside the 10. I remember him being the emergency quarterback versus the Steelers and contributing towards an upset win! I had the opportunity to meet Al Davis in 1984 at Soldier field, and Al shared with me that he thought Ray was the most influential player for the Raiders during the 70's'.

It was great to hear from a die-hard fan willing to share his stories, and I hope this will finally get to be the year I make the trip to Canton to see him elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame's immortality.

Advantage: Senior Committee

I was fortunate enough to have contacted some members of the Selection Committee recently, and they helped me to clarify the current status of Ray Guy and his chances of making it into the Hall.

One gentleman, who is very familiar with Bay Area sports, responded to my question on his chances quite simply:

"It is always better to enter the room with the backing of the Senior Committee".

Another member gave me three reasons to be very opportunistic about his chances:

1) Senior Committee voting is separate from the modern-day players vote.

2) He will not take away a spot from anybody else if inducted.

3) He thinks that the voters believe it is finally time to induct a punter into the Hall.

Peter King, who has been openly against Guy's induction, responded to many fans in his 'mailbag' section of work he does with Sports Illustrated. He responded to one gentleman, saying:

"Your comments about Guy echo what so many feel, and that's why he was nominated as a candidate for the Hall. He will get a very fair airing by the full committee"

It is clear that Ray's chances are the highest this year than ever before, and this point is acknowledged by supporters and adversaries alike.