Buck Pierce
Encyclopedia
Buck James Pierce is a professional Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Pierce signed with the Blue Bombers for the 2010 CFL season
2010 CFL season
The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it is the 53rd season of the league. Edmonton is scheduled to host the 98th Grey Cup on November 28...
after he was released by the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
, the team he spent the first five years of his professional career with. He played college football at New Mexico State
New Mexico State Aggies football
The New Mexico State Aggies football team represents New Mexico State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Western Athletic Conference ....
from 2001–2004, starting at quarterback for most of his senior year.
High school
The son of Tim and Connie Pierce, he attended Del Norte High SchoolDel Norte High School (Crescent City, California)
Del Norte High School, located in Crescent City, California is a California public high school serving students from grades 9 through 12.It is accredited for six years by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges as of 2008....
, in Crescent City, California
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
. He was a three-year starter at Del Norte, guiding the Warriors to a 16-4 record as a junior and senior.
He passed for 2,225 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior in 1999, earning Big 5 Conference Most Valuable Player honors for the second consecutive season. He broke the school’s single-season and career records for both passing yardage and passing TD’s in 1999. Buck threw for 2,010 yards and 19 TD’s as a junior in 1998 and 1,180 yards and 10 TD’s as a sophomore in 1997.
He was voted to the Times Standard North Coast California All-Century team. He qualified for North State meet as a long jumper, leaping better than 22 feet as a junior. He also led DNHS to a pair of league titles as a starting guard on the basketball squad.
College
Pierce attended New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
, in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
where he majored in kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
. In 2001, on his first run from scrimmage as a college player, Pierce ripped off a 75-yard run against Louisville. He did not throw an interception in 2001 and did not throw one in 2002 until the fourth quarter against North Texas (11/16) in the next to last game of the season.
Wearing the #11 jersey, he started seven games as a sophomore, and took the top job in 2004 as a senior. He consistently posted high efficiency ratings as a college quarterback.
BC Lions
Pierce signed a free agent contract with the BC LionsBC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on May 16, 2005
2005 CFL season
The 2005 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2005:...
after being passed over by the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
.
Pierce began the season as the third string quarterback, making his CFL debut on Aug 19, 2005 versus Hamilton
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
. In this game, he completed all three of his passes and also threw his first CFL touchdown pass, to running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Antonio Warren
Antonio Warren
Antonio Warren is a former Canadian Football League running back who played with the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos-College career:...
, in a 39-15 win over the Tiger-Cats. After injuries to starter Dave Dickenson
Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions. Dickenson also played quarterback collegiately at the University of Montana, where he led the Montana Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA I-AA college football championship.-High school...
and backup Casey Printers
Casey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
, Pierce earned his first career start in Week 16 at Winnipeg
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
(Oct 10/05), a 44-23 loss, completing 12-of-22 passes for 133 yards.
After Casey Printers left for the NFL in 2006
2006 CFL season
-2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions...
, Pierce was elevated to the backup quarterback position behind Dave Dickenson. Once Dickenson was injured in week 8 against the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
, Buck was again elevated to starter status, this time for two straight games and earned his first CFL win as a starter as the team won both games. Dickenson returned only to leave the Sept 24 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
with post-concussion symptoms, leaving Pierce to start the next game against the Tiger-Cats, also a win. He started each of the next three games until playing poorly in the third game against Hamilton where Dickenson reclaimed his starter's position. Pierce went 5-1 as a starter as he led the CFL in completion percentage (73.7%) and had the second highest quarterback rating (109.0).http://www.bclions.com/index.php?module=roster&func=display&ros_id=469. At the conclusion of the season, Pierce shared in the Lions championship, playing for a few snaps in the 94th Grey Cup
94th Grey Cup
The 94th Grey Cup game took place on November 19, 2006, at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba before 44,786 fans. Ticket prices ranged from $141 and $275.The game decided the championship of the 2006 Canadian Football League season...
.
In 2007
2007 CFL season
The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on...
, then-starter Dave Dickenson
Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions. Dickenson also played quarterback collegiately at the University of Montana, where he led the Montana Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA I-AA college football championship.-High school...
suffered yet another concussion, in week 3, and Pierce stepped up to assume the role of starting quarterback. By mid-August, Pierce was hobbled by injuries to his ribs, toe, hand, and shoulder, but he persevered in the starting role until finally relinquishing the role to third-stringer Jarious Jackson, who performed well himself. The Lions finished a team record 14-3-1, but succumbed to the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
in the West Final. Due to his frequent injuries, Pierce has been referred to as the Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
' "walking bruise". As of the end of 2007, he had started 11 games as a Lion, compiling a mark of 7-3-1.
With Dave Dickenson being released in the off-season, the starting quarterback's position was up for grabs for the 2008 season
2008 BC Lions season
The 2008 BC Lions finished the season in third place in the Western Division with a 11–7 record. The Lions appeared in the CFL Western Final.- CFL Draft:...
. Following the 2008 pre-season and a tough competition with back-up Jarious Jackson
Jarious Jackson
Jarious K. Jackson is an American and Canadian football quarterback who is currently playing for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.-High school:...
, Pierce was named the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
starting quarterback. Because of an injury in the regular season opener, he acted as the back-up until Jackson's ineffective play led to Pierce returning as the starter against Montreal
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
on Labour Day Weekend
Labour Day Classic
The Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
. After manhandling the Roughriders in the West Semi-Final, he led the Lions to the West Final against Calgary where they were defeated for the fourth time that season.
The 2009 season
2009 BC Lions season
The 2009 BC Lions season is the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 56th overall. The Lions attempted to win their 6th Grey Cup championship....
saw Pierce struggle with concussions and shoulder injuries. He was sidelined with the former in week 7 on August 14th in a game against Toronto. He returned to play for the first time in week 12 on September 19th, starting again against Toronto, after Jarious Jackson was injured in the previous game against Montreal. But again, Pierce was besieged with injuries and left the week 16 match-up with Winnipeg, leaving third stringer Travis Lulay
Travis Lulay
Travis Lulay is a professional American and Canadian football quarterback for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. In his first season as a full-time starter, Lulay won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 2011 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 Grey Cup...
to carry out a victory.
With Jackson sitting out the rest of the season, head coach Wally Buono
Wally Buono
Pasquale "Wally" Buono is the head coach, general manager and alternate governor of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, and one of the most successful coaches in league history. He is in his 19th year of coaching, previously as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and currently with the...
opted to sign former CFL MOP
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
Casey Printers
Casey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
. In the Winnipeg game, Lulay had also injured himself towards the end of the game, forcing Buono to start Printers for the final three games of the regular season. When Printers was knocked out of the finale against Edmonton on November 6th, Pierce came in, in relief, and was again knocked out with a shoulder injury. At season end Buono stated that not all five quarterbacks would be back in 2010
2010 BC Lions season
The 2010 BC Lions season was the 53rd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 57th overall. The Lions attempted to improve upon their 8–10 record from 2009 and win their 6th Grey Cup championship, but they lost in the West Semi-Final....
.
On March 9th, 2010, Buck Pierce was released by the BC Lions making him a free agent.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Pierce signed with the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on April 12, 2010. He started Winnipeg's opening game of the 2010 CFL season against Hamilton on July 2, 2010. Pierce fought through an injury-plagued season, making only five starts with only three of those coming consecutively. Despite backup Steven Jyles
Steven Jyles
Steven Jyles is a professional Canadian football quarterback currently playing for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Edmonton Eskimos in 2006...
playing well in his absence, the Blue Bombers showed their confidence in his progress in the off-season by trading Jyles to the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
in May of 2011, leaving Pierce the undisputed starter.
The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season
2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season
The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season will be the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 79th overall. The Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the East division with a 10–8 record. The team clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 on October 7th, 2011 after a...
began with significant optimsim as the team hoped to make the playoffs after failing to qualify the last two seasons. One of the major questions regarding the teams potential was the health of their starting quarterback Buck Pierce, who had missed 13 games the previous year due to injury. Throughout the season Buck Pierce's health would prove to be a minor concern despite taking some viscous hits by defenders. The Blue Bombers jumped out to a 7-1 record to start the season, leading the Eastern Conference. After Labour Day Weekend
Labour Day Classic
The Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
the Bombers began to struggle losing 6 of 9 games entering the final game of the season with a record of 10-7. Statistically Pierce did not have a great season, but he proved that he was a sufficiently healthy quarterback who could win games.
Statistics
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Games | Att | Comp | Pct | Yards | Long | TD | Int | Rating | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Fumb | ||
| 2005 2005 CFL season The 2005 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2005:... |
BC 2005 BC Lions season The 2005 BC Lions finished in 1st place in the West Division with a 12–6 record. They appeared in the West Final.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:-Season schedule:- Passing:-Rushing:-Receiving:-Awards and records:... |
18 | 71 | 43 | 60.6 | 679 | 54 | 3 | 1 | 100.6 | 15 | 104 | 6.9 | 17 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2006 2006 CFL season -2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions... |
BC 2006 BC Lions season The 2006 BC Lions finished in 1st place in the West Division with a 13–5 record and won the 94th Grey Cup over the Montreal Alouettes.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:-Season schedule:-Rushing:-Receiving:-Awards and records:... |
18 | 186 | 137 | 73.7 | 1,752 | 67 | 11 | 6 | 109.0 | 31 | 294 | 9.5 | 39 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2007 2007 CFL season The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on... |
BC | 15 | 127 | 81 | 63.8 | 1,013 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 91.7 | 22 | 164 | 7.5 | 20 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2008 2008 CFL season The 2008 CFL season was the 55th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 51st season for the league. It was also the first CFL season in which all of the league's regular season and post-season games, including the Grey Cup game, were aired on TSN. This meant the CFL... |
BC 2008 BC Lions season The 2008 BC Lions finished the season in third place in the Western Division with a 11–7 record. The Lions appeared in the CFL Western Final.- CFL Draft:... |
18 | 362 | 232 | 64.1 | 3,018 | 79 | 19 | 9 | 97.4 | 29 | 177 | 6.1 | 16 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2009 2009 CFL season The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders... |
BC 2009 BC Lions season The 2009 BC Lions season is the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 56th overall. The Lions attempted to win their 6th Grey Cup championship.... |
17 | 315 | 199 | 63.2 | 2,272 | 62 | 10 | 12 | 79.5 | 39 | 276 | 7.1 | 23 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2010 2010 CFL season The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it is the 53rd season of the league. Edmonton is scheduled to host the 98th Grey Cup on November 28... |
WPG 2010 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2010 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season was the 53rd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 78th overall. The Blue Bombers finished the year in 4th place in the East division with a 4–14 record and failed to make the playoffs... |
5 | 120 | 80 | 66.7 | 1,080 | 90 | 6 | 4 | 97.9 | 22 | 237 | 10.8 | 43 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2011 2011 CFL season The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the league. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes opening the season against the visiting BC Lions on... |
WPG 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season will be the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 79th overall. The Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the East division with a 10–8 record. The team clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 on October 7th, 2011 after a... |
16 | 411 | 261 | 63.5 | 3,348 | 92 | 14 | 18 | 82.0 | 51 | 324 | 6.4 | 48 | 2 | 1 | ||
| CFL Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... totals |
107 | 1,592 | 1,033 | 64.9 | 13,162 | 92 | 68 | 53 | 91.0 | 209 | 1,576 | 7.5 | 48 | 13 | 13 | |||