Buford Long

Buford Eugene Long (December 14, 1931 – September 1, 2006) was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive back, halfback and end in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the 1950s. Long played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants of the NFL.

Buford Long
Long on 1954 Bowman football card
No. 22
Position:Defensive back, halfback, end
Personal information
Born:(1931-12-14)December 14, 1931
Lake Wales, Florida
Died:September 1, 2006(2006-09-01) (aged 74)
Wauchula, Florida
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:Lake Wales (FL)
College:Florida
NFL Draft:1953 / Round: 5 / Pick: 58
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:33
Receiving yards:462
Rushing attempts:52
Rushing yards:164
Touchdowns:5
Interceptions:3
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Long was born in Lake Wales, Florida in 1931.[1] He attended Lake Wales High School,[2] where he played high school football for the Lake Wales Highlanders.

College career

Long attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football team from 1950 to 1952.[3] In an era when the college football rules permitted only limited player substitutions, Long played on both offense and defense, and was a standout halfback and defensive back. Memorably, as a senior in 1952, Long ran seventy-seven yards for a touchdown in the Gators' 30–0 upset of their rivals, the Georgia Bulldogs.[3] Long was a key member of the Gators' 1952 backfield that included fullback Rick Casares and quarterback Doug Dickey and led the Gators to an 8–3 season and a 14–13 victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane—their first-ever NCAA-sanctioned post-season bowl game.[4] Memorably, as a senior, he had 77-yard touchdown run to help defeat the rival Georgia Bulldogs 30–0.[4] Bob Woodruff ranked Long as one of the three best backs to play for the Gators during the 1950s.[4]

During his senior season, Long rushed for fourteen touchdowns, and was a third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection.[3] He finished his college career with twenty-five rushing touchdowns, which still ranks eighth on the Gators' all-time career records list.[3] Long also earned varsity letters as a member of the Florida Gators baseball and track and field teams.[5]

He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1955, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[6]

Professional career

The New York Giants selected Long in the fifth round (fifty-eighth pick overall) of the 1953 NFL Draft,[7] and he played for the Giants for three seasons from 1953 to 1955.[8] In his three-year NFL career, Long played in twenty-six games, rushed fifty-two times for 164 yards and a touchdown, had thirty-three receptions for 462 yards and four touchdowns, made three interceptions, and returned twenty-three kickoffs for 607 yards.[1]

Long died September 1, 2006 at his home in Wauchula; he was 74 years old.[9]

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See also

References
  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Buford Long. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Buford Long Archived November 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  3. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 96, 138, 152, 183 (2011). Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  4. Tom McEwen, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama, pp. 180–181, 210–211 (1974).
  5. Associated Press, "Buford Long Awarded Three Varsity Letters," Sarasota Herald-Tribune, p. 11 (June 7, 1953). Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  6. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  7. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1953 National Football League Draft. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  8. National Football League, Historical Players, Buford Long. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  9. Robbie Andreu, "Buford Long, a Gator great, dead at 74, The Gainesville Sun (September 1, 2006). Retrieved March 29, 2013.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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