Buddy Dial
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Leroy "Buddy" Dial (January 17, 1937 – February 29, 2008) was an American football
wide receiver
in the National Football League
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Dallas Cowboys
.
, but grew up in Magnolia, Texas
. He attended and played high school football
at Magnolia High School
.
at Rice University
from 1956 to 1958 and was selected an All-America
n in 1958
.
He was a complete end
that played both ways. He stood 6-1 and weighed 185.
In 1956 he had 21 receptions, averaged 17 yards on each, made five touchdowns, and was selected sophomore lineman of the year in the Southwest Conference.
In 1957 he had 21 receptions, averaged 24 yards. He made all-Southwest, helped Rice to the conference championship, played with Rice in the Cotton Bowl, and was named to the all-bowls all-star team.
In 1958 he caught 19 passes, averaged 14 yards on each, was his team’s co-captain and Most Valuable Player, and was consensus All-America
. The Columbus Touchdown Club named him Lineman of the Year.
For his career at Rice he had 13 touchdowns, tying the school record set by another Hall of Fame
end
, James "Froggie" Williams 1946-1949.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1993.
in the second round of the 1959 NFL Draft
by the New York Giants
. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
from 1959
to 1963
.
He became a star with the Steelers, where he teamed with quarterback
Bobby Layne
. He held the team record for touchdown catches in a season (12).
Dial was an all-pro
with the Steelers three times.
He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1963
, but injuries limited his playing time in Dallas in 1964, 1965 and 1966.
Dial finished his career with 261 receptions for 5,436 yards (20.8 yards per rec. avg.), and 44 touchdowns, and 14 yards on four rushes (3.5 yards per rush avg.). He was selected to the Pro Bowl
twice, in 1961
and 1963.
Injuries during his NFL career led to significant health problems brought on by the abuse of painkilling drugs, and Dial went through years of difficulties before treatment in the late 1980s.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Early life
Dial was born in Ponca City, OklahomaPonca City, Oklahoma
Ponca City is a small city in Kay and Osage counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which was named after the Ponca Tribe. Located in north central Oklahoma, it lies approximately south of the Kansas border, and approximately east of Interstate 35. 25,919 people called Ponca City home at the...
, but grew up in Magnolia, Texas
Magnolia, Texas
Magnolia is a city in southwestern Montgomery County, Texas, United States outside Houston and right next to The Woodlands. The population was 1,111 at the 2000 census. Settled in the late 1840s, the town has gone by several names including "Mink's Prairie" and "Mink".-Geography:Magnolia is located...
. He attended and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Magnolia High School
Magnolia High School (Texas)
Magnolia High School is one of two public high schools in the Magnolia Independent School District in Montgomery County, Magnolia, Texas, USA. The mission of Magnolia High School's family of students, parents, and staff is to create and maintain a safe, respectful learning environment that...
.
College career
Dial played as an endEnd (football)
An end in American football is a player who lines up at either end of the line of scrimmage. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage. An end who lines up close to the offensive line is known as a tight end, while one who lines up...
at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
from 1956 to 1958 and was selected an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1958
1958 college football season
The 1958 college football season was the first to feature the two point conversion. On January 13, 1958, the 11-man NCAA Rules Committee unanimously approved a resolution to allow teams to choose between kicking an extra point after a touchdown, or running or passing from the 3 yard line for 2...
.
He was a complete end
End (football)
An end in American football is a player who lines up at either end of the line of scrimmage. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage. An end who lines up close to the offensive line is known as a tight end, while one who lines up...
that played both ways. He stood 6-1 and weighed 185.
In 1956 he had 21 receptions, averaged 17 yards on each, made five touchdowns, and was selected sophomore lineman of the year in the Southwest Conference.
In 1957 he had 21 receptions, averaged 24 yards. He made all-Southwest, helped Rice to the conference championship, played with Rice in the Cotton Bowl, and was named to the all-bowls all-star team.
In 1958 he caught 19 passes, averaged 14 yards on each, was his team’s co-captain and Most Valuable Player, and was consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
. The Columbus Touchdown Club named him Lineman of the Year.
For his career at Rice he had 13 touchdowns, tying the school record set by another Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
end
End (football)
An end in American football is a player who lines up at either end of the line of scrimmage. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage. An end who lines up close to the offensive line is known as a tight end, while one who lines up...
, James "Froggie" Williams 1946-1949.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1993.
Professional career
Dial was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the second round of the 1959 NFL Draft
1959 NFL Draft
The 1959 National Football League Draft was held on December 2, 1958 and January 21, 1959 .-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
from 1959
1959 NFL season
The 1959 NFL season was the 40th regular season of the National Football League. Tragedy struck as NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack on October 11 at Philadelphia's Franklin Field while watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers play...
to 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
.
He became a star with the Steelers, where he teamed with 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...
Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
. He held the team record for touchdown catches in a season (12).
Dial was an all-pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
with the Steelers three times.
He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, but injuries limited his playing time in Dallas in 1964, 1965 and 1966.
Dial finished his career with 261 receptions for 5,436 yards (20.8 yards per rec. avg.), and 44 touchdowns, and 14 yards on four rushes (3.5 yards per rush avg.). He was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
twice, in 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
and 1963.
Injuries during his NFL career led to significant health problems brought on by the abuse of painkilling drugs, and Dial went through years of difficulties before treatment in the late 1980s.