Buford Long

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.
Early years
Long was born in Lake Wales, Florida, in 1931. He attended Lake Wales High School, 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. 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. 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. Memorably, as a senior, he had 77-yard touchdown run to help defeat the rival Georgia Bulldogs 30–0. Bob Woodruff ranked Long as one of the three best backs to play for the Gators during the 1950s.
During his senior season, Long rushed for fourteen touchdowns, and was a third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection. He finished his college career with twenty-five rushing touchdowns, which still ranks eighth on the Gators' all-time career records list. Long also earned varsity letters as a member of the Florida Gators baseball and track and field teams.
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."
Professional career
The New York Giants selected Long in the fifth round (fifty-eighth pick overall) of the 1953 NFL Draft, and he played for the Giants for three seasons from to . 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.
Long died September 1, 2006, at his home in Wauchula; he was 74 years old.
See also
Florida Gators football, 1950–59
List of Florida Gators in the NFL Draft
List of New York Giants players
List of University of Florida alumni
University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
References
Bibliography
Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). .
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). .
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). .
McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). .
McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). .
Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). .
1931 births
2006 deaths
People from Lake Wales, Florida
Players of American football from Polk County, Florida
People from Wauchula, Florida
American football defensive backs
American football ends
American football halfbacks
Florida Gators football players
New York Giants players
Baseball players from Florida
Florida Gators baseball players
Track and field athletes from Florida
Florida Gators men's track and field athletes