When asked what he's most proud of in his NFL career, it's an easy answer for Shane Lechler.

You can't find a punter with more accomplishments than Lechler, who racked up an NFL-record nine All-Pro selections (six First-Team, three Second-Team) and seven Pro Bowls during his 13 seasons with the Raiders. He was also one of two punters to be named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

But those accomplishments aren't necessarily reflective of what Lechler is most fond of. Within a career packed with quality, he focuses more on the quantity.

"I think for a long period of time, I was at the top of the list of punters doing it for 18 years," Lechler told Raiders.com. "I think years of solid punting and being reliable, being a good teammate, trying to be a leader at the punter position, it's not the easiest thing to do. But when you're around as long as I was, being an elder person in the deal, people kind of lean on you."

The highs did come with some lows, though, as the self-described "ultimate competitive" punter would trade in some of his records and personal accomplishments for more wins. His ability to weather the storm is something he's equally proud of as a Raider, and as a man.

"We had some tough times when I was in Oakland," Lechler said. "2000 through 2002 was unbelievable. It was great. AFC Championship Game, then Tuck Rule game and then the Super Bowl, that was my first three years in the league. And then after that, you go 2-14 a couple of times and a bunch of sub .500 years. I think [about] the mental toughness, not letting that affect how I played.

"Just trying to go out and be the best pro, the best teammate I could be and make sure my job was done at the top of the line."

Lechler recently moved forward in the voting process for potential inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. He's one of four special teamers to make the round of 52 modern-era players, soon to be cut down to 25 semifinalists.

As he inches closer to Canton, he's entering damn near unchartered waters. The only other punter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is late Raiders legend Ray Guy, who's also the only other punter on the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. While Lechler was an All-American punter at Texas A&M, he worked directly with Guy as an instructor for the latter's youth football camps.

While Lechler tries not to think too much about the possibility of entering football immortality, being connected with Guy in franchise and NFL history is something he doesn't take lightly. In a way, it also provides a bit of optimism for his chance to be acknowledged by the Hall.

"I mean, someone had to break the ice and he was the guy to do it," Lechler said of Guy's 2014 induction. "There's a college award named after him for crying out loud. He was definitely the guy that was going to be the first one to get in and once he did, it gave hope for all of punters that are out there waiting."

"Ray wasn't a very talkative person. He was quiet and stuck to himself and had his own demeanor on how he approached things and I respected that," he added. "Ray let his athleticism and the way he punted the ball speak for itself and I really respected that."

In a similar vein, awaiting the next stages in the voting process, Lechler chooses to let his play advocate for him better than any words can.

"My goal was to be the best at my position and I felt like I [was] pretty good at that," he said. "As far as the Hall of Fame stuff goes, people ask me all the time what I think about it. I'm like, 'I punted my last punt.' So, the resume is done and we'll see where it goes from there."