Hall-of-Famer Ray Guy dies at 72

Ray Guy, one of the inaugural 45 inductees into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame last month, died Wednesday night in Hattiesburg, Miss., after a long illness.

Guy, the first punter drafted in the NFL first round or inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was best known for his time with the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, but he was a four-sports star at Thomson High, which he led to football state titles in 1967 and 1968.

Thomson’s football team was 33-1 during Guy’s three seasons, and Guy was the AJC’s Class A Back of the Year in 1968.

“When things were tough in football, you knew he was going to make the play whether it was on offense or defense,” said longtime Thomson assistant coach John Barnett, who grew up idolizing Guy as a kid in the 1960s. “He scored the go-ahead touchdown with a cast on his left wrist in the 1967 title game, and in the 1968 title game, he scored our touchdown, kicked the PAT and blocked their field goal with three minutes left to preserve a 7-6 win.”

Guy’s brother Al, also an all-state player at Thomson, represented Ray at the high school hall of fame induction. Ray Guy was 72.