Ray Guy was announced Wednesday as a senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

This is Guy’s eighth time as a finalist, but his first as a senior finalist.  A senior finalist is categorized as being retired for at least 25 years.

Guy played for the Golden Eagles from 1970-72 and the Oakland Raiders from 1973-86. He was elected to the Pro Bowl seven times and was a First-Team All-Pro selection six times for the Raiders.

The former Southern Miss punter is already a member of both the Mississippi and Georgia’s Sports Halls of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame does not have any players who were strictly punters within their revered fraternity of elites. However, Guy has accomplished impressive firsts before as he was the first pure punter to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

He will need to receive at least 80 percent to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Selection Committee consists of 46 members who will vote on the candidates on Feb. 1 in New York/New Jersey.

Those who receive 80 percent or more of the votes will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio in August.  The official date is yet to be announced.

Guy currently serves as the director of the M-Club and community relations for the Southern Miss Alumni Association.