football autographed by NFL legend Ray Guy, right.
A Villager who met legendary Oakland Raider Ray Guy last year is glad to see the punter enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Guy was inducted Saturday into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio by his old coach, John Madden.
Dan Magathan of the Village of Country Club Hills met Guy in November when the punter made an appearance and signed autographs at the Home Builders Association of Lake and Sumter Counties Home Show at Wildwood Community Center.
Magathan, a Kansas City Chiefs fans, recalls some brutal contests between his team and Guy’s squad.
Magathan said he appreciates the importance of the punter.
“Punting is an art of its own,” Magathan said. “It is a very important position on a football team.”
He said with a single kick, the punter can put his opponent way back on the field and change the dynamic of the contest.
But for Guy, the long wait for the Hall of Fame has been as agonizing as the “hang time” of one of his punts for his downfield opponent.
Guy, 64, has been finalist seven times starting in 1992 without getting in. But after being selected as the Senior Committee’s nominee this year, Guy – along with his 44,493 yards of kicks and three Super Bowl rings – finally had his day in the spotlight.
“Nobody thought it was possible,” Magathan said. “He was a nice guy when I met him. I am really glad for him.”
And Magathan now has a football signed by a Hall of Famer.
Speaking of great NFL punters, Larry Seiple, of the Super Bowl winning Miami Dolphins of the 1970s, lives in The Villages.
