Gilbert Leroy "Buddy" Dial

Professional Football Player.
Mr. Dial, born in Oklahoma, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National High School Hall of Fame in 2002.
His 20.8-yard average per catch over his career still ranks second in NFL history.

Gilbert "Buddy" Dial was the complete end of his time. He stood 6-1, weighed 185, and was a tiger on defense. When Rice had the ball, he was a potent blocker and a daring receiver who caught passes from King Hill and Frank Ryan. In 1956 he had 21 receptions, averaged 17 yards on each, made five touchdowns, and was elected Sophomore Lineman of the Year in the Southwest Conference. He again had 21 receptions in 1957 and his average gain was 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. Dial went to the Pittsburgh Steelers 1959-1963 and Dallas Cowboys 1964-1966 and was all-pro there three times. After his football days were over, Dial settled in Tomball, Texas, was in real estate, oil, and banking and was a prominent speaker for civic, church, and charity groups.

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He was an All-Pro wide receiver who played in the National Football League for eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, 1959 to 1963 and Dallas Cowboys, 1964 to 1966.
In his career, he twice had more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season and his average gain of 20.8 yards per catch was an NFL record when he retired.
It remains the second-best average in league history.
He played in 98 games, with 261 receptions for 5,436 yards, had 44 touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1961 and 1963.
He was also an All-America for Rice University in 1958 and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, in 1993.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 13 2025, 15:05:54 UTC

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links

• https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/buddy-dial-1993/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Dial
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24988157/buddy_dial
• https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1810
• https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2008/03/05/Obituary-Bu...
• https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DialBu00.htm
• https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Buddy_Dial
• https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/buddy_dial
• https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LT9P-V62/gilbert-leroy-dial-1...
• https://youtu.be/KuC-e7Udxhs?si=jOLW_ExuKEQ-8q8C