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Ray Guy is the man!
THOMSON --- Graham Gano tossed footballs to children and shouted out instructions at the Ray Guy/prokicker.com camp Tuesday afternoon.
The Florida State senior, the reigning Lou Groza award winner (given to the nation's best kicker), was on staff at Thomson High School. Gano showed the importance of good special teams play during the Seminoles' 42-13 win over Wisconsin in Saturday's Champs Sports Bowl.
Gano was named most valuable player after stopping three of his five punts inside the 3-yard line. He also nailed six extra-point attempts.
"Coaches always say there's three parts of the game," Gano said. "There's offense, defense and special teams. At Florida State, we take a lot of pride in our special teams."
Gano participated in a Ray Guy camp in Pensacola, Fla., during his high school days. He caught the eye of the kicking camp's staff, who offered him a job as an instructor. Gano said he's worked about seven camps.
As an instructor, he helps campers with punting and kicking.
"I know when I was their age I would've liked to talk to people who've been in game situations, just to be able to pick their brain," Gano said. "I try to give them all the knowledge I have and give them a head start."
Guy returned to Thomson for a brief visit. The standout punter is working for his college alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi. He accepted a job as special project manager in 2007. He also is doing fund-raising for the school's centennial celebration on March 30, 2010. Raising money for the school, he said, is a challenge.
"I want to raise as much as I can raise," he said. "But with the economy, people are tight. A lot of them have been cutting back. And you can't blame them."
Guy also keeps busy with his kicking camps. During the winter slate of nine camps, he'll work about six of them. He'll also work a selected amount of the 40 summer camps in 2009.
"I don't have the luxury of doing that many now," Guy said. "That job in Hattiesburg keeps me pretty well tied down."
Guy, who is one of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009, said he doesn't get back to Thomson much. A lot of that has to do with his job and the economy, he said.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
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