Lechler Was Another Raider Who Got His Kicks

Ray Guy of the Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders is the only punter inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, AJ Cole of the Las Vegas Raiders is starting to remind Raider Nation of the man considered the greatest punter in NFL History.

However, there is another punter who spent much of his career with the Raiders and was among the greatest at his position, and that’s Shane Lechler. Guy and Lechler were the only punters selected to the NFL’s 100-year All-Time team in 2016.

The 6-2, 240-pound Lechler was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft (No. 142 overall) out of Texas A&M and spent 13 seasons with the Raiders and five more with the Houston Texans.

“This man is the greatest punter to ever walk the earth, but even more than that, he is one of the best people to ever walk this earth,” said defensive end J.J. Watt, his Oilers teammate, when Lechler retired in 2017. … “Well do celebrate it all again in a few years when they’re putting that Gold Jacket on you (at the Hall of Fame.”

“ … He was the greatest of All-Time, true GOAT.”

Pat McAfee, who punted for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009-16, added: “I started studying Shane. He was the best. … He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.”

However, that still has not happened for Lechler, and it’s interesting to note that Guy, despite his incredible career with the Raiders, was not elected to the Hall of Fame until 2014, 23 years after he retired. He passed away late last year at the age of 72.

Lechler leads the Raiders with an all-time average of 47.5 yards per punt, while Guy was second at 42.4, but the difference was that Guy kicked the ball so high that his punts were rarely returned, and they both had a net average of 38.8 yards per kick.

Pro Football Journal noted that Lechler often outkicked his coverage, ranking 20th among punters in his era with a net average of 39.1 yards, while Johnny Hekker of the St. Louis Rams led the way at 43.1.

Still, the accolades of Guy and Lechler are similar. Guy was voted to eight All-Pro teams, Lechler to nine. Guy had six first-team All-Pro nominations, the same as Lechler. Guy and Lechler were named to an all-decade team, and both made that All-100-Year NFL Team.

Lechler, who missed only two games in his career because of injuries, led the NFL in punting yardage four times; he had the season’s longest punt twice, and he led the league in yards per punt five times. He’s the NFL’s all-time in that category and made all seven extra points he attempted in his career.

“I was fortunate enough to play in the Silver and Black for 13 years and had a great time doing it,” Lechler said when his career with the Raiders ended in 2012. “Mr. (Al) Davis and what the Davis family has done for me financially, my family financially, has really taken care of me, let me do some things that I wouldn’t have been able to do without them.

“My hat’s off to Mr. Davis and Mark Davis, his son, and Carol (Davis). I’m fortunate enough to have been able to play in the Silver and Black for that long and had a good career and I appreciate everything they did for me.”

Although Lechler moved on to the Texans, he was going home.

Lechler was born in East Bernard, Texas, in 1976, and as mentioned above, he played college ball at Texas A&M, where he was an All-American in his last two seasons and averaged 44.7 yards per punt in his career with only one kick blocked.

Considered a Hall of Famer in Oakland and Texas, Lechler should soon be in Canton.

If you want to look at that list of Raiders in the Hall of Fame, you can find it WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

The NFL Scouting Combine is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. From 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EST on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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