Ray Guy's best chance to make the Hall of Fame?

I did grow up during Guy's time, and I do seem to recall a somewhat mythic reverence for him, and now I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe because of his draft status, maybe hang time. But when you compare the numbers to his AFC West peer at the time, Jerrel Wilson, this is what you see:

Guy 14 years 42.4 yd avg. 13 years over 40 yds; 1 year over 44 yds led league 3 times

Wilson 16 years 43.0 yd avg. 14 years over 40 yds; 7 years over 44 yds; led league 5 times

 

Where are you getting that? Pro Football Reference has him as a three-time All-Pro, which, I admit, surprised me...

 

Guy was legendary for his hang time. The times I've heard people talk about him, they talk more about hang time than the distance of the kicks. If you think about it, hang time is more important than distance.

 

That's the thing about legends. They may be based in reality, but that doesn't mean they are entirely real.

 

I'm sure the people who voted him to the 75th Anniversary team did it based on his imagined career.

 

Yeah, Della, where does that come from? I got it from the place Mizzougrad cites.

 

A couple points on Guy:

-- Madden said for years he wanted Guy focused on hang time. This is not revisionist history by him. He said it when Guy played and immediately afterward as well. He also didn't want Guy kicking to corners.

-- He was a three-time AP All-pro, but added several years of getting named by PFW, NEA, Pro Football Writers.

-- He was drafted in the first round because the Raiders punter in 1972 was blocked three times (most in the league) and averaged 36. 9. He was drafted to push a team over the edge and win a title. No punter can claim that. Of course, it would be three more years before the Raiders did so.

 

Just saying I don't think anybody even kept statistics on hang time back then, so you have some people doing some embellishing to bolster his case.

 

Looks like they're the only two.

 

Punter is a position on a football team, right? It should have a few representatives in the HOF. Outside of long snapper, every other position has a rep. And, no, I don't think long snappers should be in the HOF, but I have no problem with two or three punters.

 

Assistant coach is also a position. So is executive assistant.

 

Not on a 56-man roster.