View source for Ray Mansfield

{{Short description|American football player (1941–1996)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL player
|name=Ray Mansfield 
|position=[[Center (American football)|Center]]
|number=77, 73, 56
|birth_date={{birth date|1941|1|21}}
|birth_place=[[Bakersfield, California]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1996|11|3|1941|1|21}}
|death_place =[[Grand Canyon]], [[Arizona]], U.S.
|height_ft     = 6
|height_in     = 3
|weight_lbs    = 250
|afldraftyear=1963
|afldraftround=5
|afldraftpick=37
|draftyear=1963
|draftround=2
|draftpick=18
|college=[[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]
|high_school = [[Kennewick High School|Kennewick]] {{nowrap|([[Kennewick, Washington]])}}
|teams=
* [[Philadelphia Eagles]] (1963)
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (1964–1976)
|highlights=
* 2× [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl IX|IX]], [[Super Bowl X|X]])
* 2× Second-team [[All-Pro]] (1972, 1975)
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers#Hall of Honor|Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor]]
* Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1962 College Football All-America Team|1962]])
* First-team [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference football teams|All-PCC]] ([[1962 All-Pacific Coast football team|1962]])
* Second-team All-PCC ([[1961 All-Pacific Coast football team|1961]])
|statlabel1=Games played
|statvalue1=196
|statlabel2=Games started
|statvalue2=111
}}
'''Burt James Ray Mansfield''' (January 21, 1941 &ndash; November 3, 1996), nicknamed "'''Ranger'''", was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[Center (American football)|center]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]].<ref name=rmdigch>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fggwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DHADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2141%2C4223242|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |last=Silver |first=Jonathon D. |title=Ray Mansfield dies in Grand Canyon hike |date=November 5, 1996 |page=A1}}</ref><ref name=fslpal>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fwgwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DHADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6356%2C4550128 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |last=Cook |first=Ron |title=Former Steeler loved people and life |date=November 6, 1996 |page=B6 }}</ref><ref name=sthgrmns>{{cite news |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19961105/2358025/husky-great-mansfield-dies-in-grand-canyon----former-uw-pittsburgh-steeler-lineman-55-collapses-during-hiking-trip |newspaper=Seattle Times |last=Rockne |first=Dick |title=Husky great Mansfield dies in Grand Canyon -- former UW, Pittsburgh Steeler lineman, 55, collapses during hiking trip |date=November 5, 1996 |access-date=February 28, 2016}}</ref> He played [[college football]] for the [[Washington Huskies football|Washington Huskies]].

==Early life==
Born in [[Bakersfield, California]], Mansfield grew up in [[Kennewick, Washington]], and graduated from [[Kennewick High School]] in 1959. He played [[college football]] at the [[Washington Huskies football|University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]] under head coach [[Jim Owens]]. During his sophomore season in [[1960 Washington Huskies football team|1960]], the Huskies won the [[1961 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] 17–7 over top-ranked [[1960 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]]. After his senior season in [[1962 Washington Huskies football team|1962]], he participated in the [[East-West Shrine Game]].<ref name="UW">[http://www.washingtonsportshof.com/football.htm STATE OF WASHINGTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME]</ref>  Mansfield is a member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.<ref name=sthgrmns/><ref name="UW"/>

==Playing career==
Mansfield was the 18th overall selection in the [[1963 NFL draft]], taken by the [[1963 Philadelphia Eagles season|Eagles]] in the second round, and played for them for one season. He was also selected in the [[1963 American Football League draft|AFL draft]], in the fifth round by the [[1963 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]].<ref name=sthgrmns/>

Mansfield moved to the Steelers in [[1964 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1964]] and played left defensive tackle for two years. He switched to offense and was their starting center for a decade, from [[1966 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1966]] until [[1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1976]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MansRa20.htm|title = Ray Mansfield Stats}}</ref> and was a key member of the Steelers' [[Super Bowl]]-winning teams of the [[1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1974]] and [[1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1975]] seasons. In his last season as a Steeler, he kicked the [[extra point]] on the Steelers' final touchdown in a playoff game at [[1976 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore]],<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197612190clt.htm Pittsburgh Steelers 40 at Baltimore Colts 14]</ref><ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197612260rai.htm Pittsburgh Steelers 7 at Oakland Raiders 24]</ref> after [[Roy Gerela]] pulled a groin muscle. Mansfield was also a [[placekicker]] in college and for three college all-star teams.<ref name=gnkalp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=--4uAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PdsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3966%2C4278943 |newspaper=Beaver County Times |location=Pennsylvania |title=Gerela not kicking about leg pain |last=Bechtel |first=Sam |date=December 20, 1976 |page=C2}}</ref><ref name=waakk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Wf0qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a9oFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4105%2C1339114 |newspaper=Beaver County Times |location=Pennsylvania |title=Walden alive and kicking |date=October 21, 1974 |page=B4 }}</ref>

Mansfield played in 182 consecutive games,<ref name=sthgrmns/><ref name=smdorm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ppNPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RFMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5400%2C982062 |newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner |location=Arizona |agency=Associated Press |title=Steelers mourn the death of former center Ray Mansfield |date=November 5, 1996 |page=3 }}</ref> and was succeeded at center by [[Mike Webster]].

"Ray was a special person," former Steeler coach [[Chuck Noll]] said. "He was one of the guys who was a Steeler when I arrived in [[1969 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1969]], and he was great in the locker room. He was a guy that everybody rallied around. He always had a certain amount of levity, but he was a tremendous football player."<ref name=sthgrmns/>

==After football==
He retired from pro football in July 1977,<ref name=rmqfb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y8ISAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-_gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1792%2C1823000 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Ray Mansfield quits football |date=July 8, 1977 |page=23 }}</ref> and went on to a successful career as an insurance broker in the Pittsburgh area, previously his off-season job.<ref name=sthgrmns/>

==Death==
Known by his Steeler teammates as "Ranger" for his love of the outdoors, Mansfield died at age 55 from a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] while hiking with his son in the [[Grand Canyon]] in [[Arizona]] in November 1996.<ref name=rmdigch/><ref name=sthgrmns/><ref name=smdorm/><ref name=dionhktr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=61AlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qqYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5813%2C3515427 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=wire services |title=Ray Mansfield dies on hiking trip |date=November 5, 1996 |page=D3 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/misc/gc_rm.htm Grand Canyon claims the life of Ray Mansfield]</ref> He was buried at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in his hometown of Kennewick.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{Footballstats |nfl=2520088 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=MansRa20 |dbf=MANSFRAY01 |rotoworld=}}
* {{Find a Grave|46622850}}

{{1960 Washington Huskies football navbox}}
{{Super Bowl IX}}
{{Super Bowl X}}
{{Eagles1963DraftPicks}}
{{Broncos1963DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansfield, Ray}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:American football centers]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Eagles players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:Washington Huskies football players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Bakersfield, California]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Kennewick, Washington]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Washington (state)]]