Jimmy DuBose
Encyclopedia
Jimmy DeWayne DuBose is a former American college and professional football
player who was a running back
in the National Football League
(NFL) for three seasons in the 1970s. DuBose played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the NFL.
in 1954. He attended Sarasota High School
in Sarasota, Florida
, and he was a standout high school football
player for the Sarasota Sailors, rushing for 1,400 yards and sixteen touchdown
s as a senior
.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played fullback
for coach Doug Dickey
's Florida Gators football
team from 1972 to 1975. Dickey described him as a "picture perfect fullback," able to run over people like a fullback but also able to run like a halfback
in the open field. Memorably, DuBose ran for 180 yards against the Vanderbilt Commodores
, including an eighty-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, and rushed for 204 yards versus the Florida State Seminoles
as a senior. Averaging nearly seven yards per carry, he led the Gators to a 9–2 record, the first time the Gators had achieved nine regular-season wins.
DuBose's 2,159 career rushing yards are, as of 2009, the tenth-best in Gators team history; his senior-year effort of 1,307 yards remains the Gators' third-best season total (following two of Emmitt Smith
's seasons). He was a team captain
, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection, the SEC Player of the Year, a second-team All-American, and sixth in the Heisman Trophy
balloting in 1975. He was also the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award recognizing the "senior football player who displayed outstanding leadership, character and courage." DuBose graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in public relations
in 1980, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1987.
, following the Buccaneers' first-round pick, Leroy Selmon, and became part of the inaugural Buccaneers line-up. Hobbled by an injured ankle in his rookie
season in , he had trouble learning the Bucs system. Playing with a year's experience behind an improved line, he was the Bucs' most consistent runner in the preseason, earning the praise of Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Joe Gibbs
. In , he became the Buccaneers' first-ever running back to gain 100 yards in a game. Unfortunately, only four plays after achieving this milestone, he tore knee ligaments while tackling New York Giants
linebacker Harry Carson
after an interception, an injury that benched him for the entire season. He never regained his pre-injury form, and was traded to the Miami Dolphins
in , along with a second-round draft pick for running back Gary Davis and cornerback Norris Thomas
. Miami coach Don Shula
cut DuBose from the squad, feeling that he would, at 205 pounds, be too small to replace Larry Csonka
.
In his three-season NFL career, DuBose appeared in thirty-three games, started fifteen of them, and rushed for 704 yards and four touchdowns on 184 attempts. He also compiled seventeen receptions for 118 yards yards.
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...
player who was a 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...
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...
(NFL) for three seasons in the 1970s. DuBose played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of the NFL.
Early life
DuBose was born in Enterprise, AlabamaEnterprise, Alabama
Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
in 1954. He attended Sarasota High School
Sarasota High School
Sarasota High School is a public high school in Sarasota, Florida. The mascot is the Sailor.- History :Sarasota High School first opened in 1913. A new school was built in 1926 on South Tamiami Trail and the school was relocated...
in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, and he was a standout 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....
player for the Sarasota Sailors, rushing for 1,400 yards and sixteen touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s as a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
.
College career
DuBose received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for coach Doug Dickey
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair "Doug" Dickey is a former American college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1972 to 1975. Dickey described him as a "picture perfect fullback," able to run over people like a fullback but also able to run like a halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
in the open field. Memorably, DuBose ran for 180 yards against the Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
, including an eighty-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, and rushed for 204 yards versus the Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
as a senior. Averaging nearly seven yards per carry, he led the Gators to a 9–2 record, the first time the Gators had achieved nine regular-season wins.
DuBose's 2,159 career rushing yards are, as of 2009, the tenth-best in Gators team history; his senior-year effort of 1,307 yards remains the Gators' third-best season total (following two of Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
's seasons). He was a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection, the SEC Player of the Year, a second-team All-American, and sixth in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
balloting in 1975. He was also the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award recognizing the "senior football player who displayed outstanding leadership, character and courage." DuBose graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
in 1980, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1987.
Professional career
DuBose was selected by the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round (thirtieth pick overall) of the 1976 NFL Draft1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
, following the Buccaneers' first-round pick, Leroy Selmon, and became part of the inaugural Buccaneers line-up. Hobbled by an injured ankle in his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season in , he had trouble learning the Bucs system. Playing with a year's experience behind an improved line, he was the Bucs' most consistent runner in the preseason, earning the praise of Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
. In , he became the Buccaneers' first-ever running back to gain 100 yards in a game. Unfortunately, only four plays after achieving this milestone, he tore knee ligaments while tackling 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...
linebacker Harry Carson
Harry Carson
Harold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Giants...
after an interception, an injury that benched him for the entire season. He never regained his pre-injury form, and was traded to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in , along with a second-round draft pick for running back Gary Davis and cornerback Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas
Norris Thomas is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for nine seasons for the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
. Miami coach Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
cut DuBose from the squad, feeling that he would, at 205 pounds, be too small to replace Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
.
In his three-season NFL career, DuBose appeared in thirty-three games, started fifteen of them, and rushed for 704 yards and four touchdowns on 184 attempts. He also compiled seventeen receptions for 118 yards yards.
Life after football
DuBose is married, and he and his wife have a son and a daughter. They both work in education.See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1970–1979
- History of the Tampa Bay BuccaneersHistory of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-John McKay and early frustration :The Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of SEC Most Valuable Players
- List of University of Florida alumni