Ray Michael Snell (February 24, 1958 – September 28, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. Tampa Bay, using their 4th ever first round draft pick, acquired Snell with the 22nd pick in the first round of the

1980 NFL Draft The 1980 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980, at the New York Sh ...

. After four seasons in Tampa Bay in which he started 46 of 64 games he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Once in Pittsburgh he immediately started 13 games. In 1986, he suffered a blow out fracture to the right eye, in which a bone was lodged behind it. He was then traded to the Detroit Lions where he retired. During 1981, he and

George Yarno George Anthony Yarno (August 12, 1957 – August 8, 2016) was a professional football player, a guard for ten seasons in the National Football League with Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Houston. He also played two seasons with the Denver Gold of the U ...

alternated plays bringing in the offensive play call for Doug Williams. Ray Snell died of cancer in Tampa on September 28, 2021, at the age of 63.

References

1958 births 2021 deaths American football offensive guards Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Pittsburgh Steelers players Detroit Lions players Wisconsin Badgers football players Players of American football from Baltimore {{offensive-lineman-1950s-stub