Bubba Pena

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Bubba Pena
No. 68
Position: Guard
Personal information
Born: (1949-08-08) August 8, 1949 (age 74)
Wareham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:268 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school:Lawrence (Falmouth, MA)
College: UMass
NFL draft: 1971  / Round: 4 / Pick: 92
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • UMass Hall of Fame Class of 2015
  • Dean College Hall of Fame Class of 1991
  • Lawrence High School Hall of Fame Class of 1998
  • 2× All-Yankee Conference (1969, 1970)
  • 2× All-New England (1967, 1968)
  • 1970 UMass MVP

Robert "Bubba" Pena (born August 8, 1949) is a former National Football League (NFL) offensive lineman who played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 1971 to 1974.

Contents

High school

Pena attended Lawrence High School in Falmouth, Massachusetts, from 1963 to 1967, playing football there all four years. He started on the varsity team his last two years, helping the Lancers reach a combined 17–1 record. He also helped Lawrence complete its first undefeated season. Pena received nearly 60 college recruitment letters during his junior season alone, but he ultimately chose to stay close to home to attend Dean College (then Dean Junior College). [1] [2]

Pena was inducted into the Lawrence/Falmouth High School Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 1998 class. [3]

College career

Pena played two seasons for the Dean Bulldogs in 1967 and 1968 and was chosen as team captain in both years. The team went 3-4 and 2–6 in his two seasons. [4] Despite Dean's records, Pena earned All-New England selections in both years. After the 1968 season, Pena decided to play football with the University of Massachusetts Amherst Redmen (now called Minutemen) for his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility. Pena was inducted into the Dean College Hall of Fame as part of the 1991 class. [5]

In the 1969 season, Pena helped the Redmen win the Yankee Conference with a 5-0 conference record and a 6-3 overall record. He earned All-Yankee Conference honors for his efforts. The Redmen declined in the 1970 season, amassing a 3-1-1 conference record and a 4-5-1 overall record, but Pena's skill did not fall with them. He earned All-Yankee Conference honors for the second straight season and was awarded the 1970 UMass MVP, marking the first time an offensive lineman has won the award. As his collegiate eligibility expired after the 1970 season, Pena entered the 1971 NFL draft. He was later inducted into the UMass Amherst Hall of Fame as part of the 2015 class. [1] [2]

Professional career

Pena was selected in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL Draft (92nd overall) by the Cleveland Browns. He is the fourth-highest draft pick in UMass history. [6]

Through training camp in his rookie year, Pena earned a starting spot on the offensive line. However, there was a contract dispute between Browns owner Art Modell and Pena, hindering his ability to start for the team. After finishing contract negotiations, Pena suffered a knee injury that forced him to sit out most of his first year. Pena contemplated quitting football altogether after the injury, but Modell convinced him to stay and promised him a starting spot the following year. In the 1972 season, Pena saw considerable time on the field, starting 4 games and playing in 7 for the Browns. [7] The Browns made the playoffs that year with a 10–4 record. Pena was named to the 1972 All-Rookie team, as he was eligible because of the amount of time he missed in the prior season.

In the following seasons, Pena was unable to stay on the field due to continuous knee injuries. Repeated surgeries and cortisone shots forced him to retire before the 1975 season. [1] [2]

Personal life

After retirement, Pena went on to create and manage Mortage Security, Inc. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud for creating a scheme to defraud Ginnie Mae. He was sentenced to 32 months in prison and ordered to pay Ginnie Mae $2.5 million in restitution in April 2019. [8]

In April 2020, Pena requested his release from a Massachusetts prison in light of the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. This situation in the prison made it impossible to follow social distancing guidelines, which prompted Pena, who was in a highly susceptible demographic, to file the motion. [9]

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The 1970 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1970 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Vic Fusia and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. The 1970 season was the last season in which Fusia coached the Redmen. UMass finished the season with a record of 4–5–1 overall and 3–1–1 in conference play.

The 1969 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1969 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Vic Fusia and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. The 1969 season was the last season in which Fusia led the Redmen to a conference championship. UMass finished the season with a record of 6–3 overall and 5–0 in conference play.

The 1965 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1965 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Vic Fusia and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. The 1965 season was the Redmen's first in Alumni Stadium, their home field until 2012. UMass finished the season with a record of 7–2 overall and 4–1 in conference play.

The 1964 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1964 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Vic Fusia and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. The 1964 season was the Redmen's last at Alumni Field, as they would move to the new Alumni Stadium at the south end of campus in 1965. The Redmen repeated as conference champions, and earned an appearance in the 1964 Tangerine Bowl, which at the time served as the NCAA Atlantic Coast Small College Championship. This was the first postseason bowl game in team history. Though the Redmen jumped out to an early 13–0 lead, they tired late and fell to East Carolina, 14–13. UMass finished the season with a record of 8–2 overall and 5–0 in conference play.

The 1963 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1963 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Vic Fusia and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Redmen defense was stifling all year long, as they surrendered only one touchdown through the entire season. Outscoring their opponents 265–12, UMass finished undefeated for the third in team history and the most recent time to date. The one imperfection on the team's record was a 0–0 tie on the road against in-state rival Harvard. UMass finished the season with a record of 8–0–1 overall and 5–0 in conference play.

The 1961 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1961 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Vic Fusia and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. The 1961 season was Fusia's first as coach of the Redmen. UMass finished the season with a record of 5–4 overall and 3–1 in conference play.

The 1957 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1957 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Charlie O'Rourke and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 1–5–1 overall and 1–2–1 in conference play.

The 1956 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1956 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference in the NCAA's newly created College Division. The team was coached by Charlie O'Rourke and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 2–5–1 overall and 1–4 in conference play.

The 1955 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1955 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Charlie O'Rourke and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 4–4 overall and 1–3 in conference play.

The 1953 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1953 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Charlie O'Rourke and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 1–7 overall and 0–3 in conference play.

The 1952 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1952 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Charlie O'Rourke and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. The 1952 season was O'Rourke's first as coach of the Minutemen, and was his only winning season with the team. UMass finished the season with a record of 4–3–1 overall and 1–2 in conference play.

The 1951 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1951 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Thomas Eck and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. The 1951 season was Eck's last as coach of the Minutemen. UMass finished the season with a record of 3–4–1 overall and 2–0 in conference play.

The 1950 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1950 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Thomas Eck and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 3–5 overall and 1–1 in conference play.

The 1949 UMass Redmen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1949 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Thomas Eck and played its home games at Alumni Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass finished the season with a record of 3–5 overall and 1–1 in conference play.

The 1964 Tangerine Bowl was an American college football bowl game between the East Carolina Pirates and the UMass Redmen, played in Orlando, Florida.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Robert Pena Inducted Into UMass Athletic Hall Of Fame". CapeNews.net. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Garner, John Jr. "College notes: Falmouth's Pena gets call to UMass Hall". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Athletics Hall of Fame / Home". http. Retrieved May 10, 2020.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  4. ↑ "Dean College". Dean College. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Hall of Fame – Complete List". Dean College. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ "2015 Hall of Fame Class Announced". University of Massachusetts Athletics. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bubba Pena Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Mortgage Company President Sentenced for Defrauding Ginnie Mae". www.justice.gov. April 24, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Ex-NFLer Jailed For Fraud Says Age, Race Increase Virus Risk – Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
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