One of the most celebrated athletes to come out of Kennewick High School received a long awaited (and overdue in my opinion) honor last year that further cemented his status as one of the all-time greats.  He is the only athlete from this area (that I know of) whose likeness graces the side of a building in downtown Kennewick

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Ray Mansfield was the first Kennewick Lion to reach the NFL after an All-American and All-Conference career at the University of Washington.  The dominant center was selected in the second round (18th overall) of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles as well as being taken in the fifth round of the AFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.

Mansfield opted to play in the NFL where he played for the Eagles for the 1963 season.  In 1964, Philadelphia traded Ray to Pittsburgh for cash.  It would be the best thing that could have happened to his career.  He became the anchor of the offensive line, earning second team All-Pro honors in 1972 and again in 1975.

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He was also a huge part of the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams in 1975 and 1976 (SB IX and X respectively).  Ray ended his playing career after the 1977 season.  After playing in 182 consecutive games in black and gold, he turned center duties over to future Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Webster.  Mansfield stayed in the Pittsburgh area and turned his offseason job as an insurance broker into his post playing career.  As Ray watched a number of his teammates get enshrined in the HOF, he never got the call himself.

Ray was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame at UW in 1995.  Unfortunately, he suffered a fatal heart attack while hiking with his son in Grand Canyon National Park in 1996. He was laid to rest in his hometown at Desert Lawn Memorial Park.

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Posthumously, his place as one of the greatest football players from the State of Washington was recognized in1997 with his enshrinement in the Washington Sports Hall of Fame.  Arguably the greatest acknowledgement of Ray Mansfield's career finally came last year.

The Steelers Honor Kennewick's Finest

I've known Ray's nephew John for close to 20 years.  I ran into him recently and he told me that his uncle was inducted into the Steeler Hall of Honor Class of 2023.  I was surprised, not because it happened, but because I hadn't heard about it.  John told me that it didn't get much attention here.  That needed to be remedied immediately.  John was kind enough to share some photos from the program honoring Ray Mansfield's Steeler career.

Enjoy the gallery below with John's photos as well as others from the ceremony.  You can also watch Ray's induction to the HoH with his daughter Caroline accepting on her father's behalf.

Kennewick High's Ray Mansfield Steelers Hall of Honor Induction

Kennewick High's Ray Mansfield Steelers Hall of Honor Induction

Gallery Credit: John Mansfield/X/Steelers Facebook

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