Ray Guy.... NFL Hall of Fame Punter

Scataphagos

Scataphagos

Not that anyone would care or notice.... but Ray Guy is the first "pure punter" to be inducted into the NFL HOF.

But I was a "Ray Guy class" punter in my own right... along with Jerrel Wilson of KC.

The Denver Broncos passed on me because they had Billy Van Heusen... also a wide receiver, whereas I played no other position... in the age where punters were secondary to having a skill at another position.

I once punted a kick 110 yards on the U. of New Mexico field (favorable bounce and roll, of course)... went through the end zone, across the 440 track and onto the field beyond. That was an "outlier"... but I could punt the ball 60 yards as a 14 yr old 8th grader. (That's 60 yards on the kick... about 46 yards from the line of scrimmage.)
 
interesting....

what makes a great punter.
do punters jump well... have speed? long legs? flexiblity?
how much is nature vs practice?

Scataphagos said:
Not that anyone would care or notice.... but Ray Guy is the first "pure punter" to be inducted into the NFL HOF.

But I was a "Ray Guy class" punter in my own right... along with Jerrel Wilson of KC.

The Denver Broncos passed on me because they had Billy Van Heusen... also a wide receiver, whereas I played no other position... in the age where punters were secondary to having a skill at another position.

I once punted a kick 110 yards on the U. of New Mexico field (favorable bounce and roll, of course)... went through the end zone, across the 440 track and onto the field beyond. That was an "outlier"... but I could punt the ball 60 yards as a 14 yr old 8th grader. (That's 60 yards on the kick... about 46 yards from the line of scrimmage.)
More...
 
jem said:
interesting....

what makes a great punter.
do punters jump well... have speed? long legs? flexiblity?
how much is nature vs practice?
More...

To be great at any sports skill is mostly nature. You need leg speed to energize the ball for distance, but you also want to be able to kick it into a spiral... so of course you have to practice.

Look at the place kickers these days. You couldn't even get an NFL job today unless you could kick the ball 60 yards off the turf, and there are several of them who can kick it 70. That seems insane!
 
I played soccer growing up and while I had an good shot from the in side of my foot (pointing the toe out a bit). I did not generate enough power toe down to take shots that way.
While now my son cracks it pretty good toe down.

I have a fairly low arch he has a high arch and sort of a big boned foot.
I have wondered about exactly that.



AAAintheBeltway said:
Having a high arch is a big advantage. Makes it easier to spiral the ball.
More...
 
I was a Ray Guy fan when I was a kid too. I got all the punting duties for my football team because I was always out practicing punting because of him. I won the local Punt Pass and Kick on my punt. My kick was long, but way off the line, my pass was pretty good, but the punt put me over the top. I got my butt kicked at the next level, but still had a great punt.
 
tango29 said:
I was a Ray Guy fan when I was a kid too. I got all the punting duties for my football team because I was always out practicing punting because of him.
More...

Jim Frazer was a heck of a punter too... line backer and punter for Broncos. 3-times lead NFL. His longest, 75 yds..... I was in the north stands of Bronco stadium to see it. Denver was punting from its own 1 yd line... Frazer had to be careful to not step on the back of the end zone line. The kick flew over the coverage and out of bounds on the 24. Who knows how much it might have counted had it not gone out of bounds?
 
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