Bucky Pope

Last updated

Bucky Pope
Born: (1941-03-23) March 23, 1941 (age 83)
Crafton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Career information
Position(s) Wide receiver
College Catawba
NFL draft 1964, Round: 8 / Pick 105
Career history
As player
1964–1967 Los Angeles Rams
1968 Green Bay Packers

Frank Buckley "Bucky" Pope (born March 23, 1941) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers. He is mostly known for his 1964 season and nickname, "the Catawba Claw." The 31.44 yards he gained per reception that year is the second-highest for a season in NFL history. [1] After his stellar rookie season his career was derailed due to injuries. [2] He missed all of the 1965 season then played only 3 more years. [3]

Catawba College

Bucky was recruited to play basketball at Duke University but did not persist there due to his strong dislike of the other basketball scholarship player in his class. Academic issues may have also contributed. In any event, he decided to take his athletic talents elsewhere. [4] After that experience he became a two sport star at nearby Catawba College (1962-1963), originally recruited for basketball he also made his mark on the football field. In basketball, he averaged 19.4 points in 61 games and in two seasons playing football caught 66 passes for nearly 1,200 yards. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Pennington</span> American football player (born 1976)

James Chadwick Pennington is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Pennington spent his first eight seasons with the Jets and was a member of the Miami Dolphins in his last three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Curry</span> American football player and coach (born 1979)

Ronald Antonio Curry is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

William Alan Munson was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1979. He also played college football for Utah State where he set multiple passing records as a senior in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martellus Bennett</span> American football player (born 1987)

Martellus Demond Bennett is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies football and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. Bennett was a member of five teams during his career, most notably the Chicago Bears, with whom he earned Pro Bowl honors, and the New England Patriots, with whom he won Super Bowl LI. After retiring, Bennett became a children's author and published books under his publication company The Imagination Agency. He is the younger brother of former defensive end Michael Bennett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Eifert</span> American football player (born 1990)

Tyler Gregory Eifert is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, receiving first-team All-American honors and winning the John Mackey Award as the top college tight end in 2012. Eifert was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jabrill Peppers</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jabrill Ahmad Peppers is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was a two-time college football All-American for the Michigan Wolverines, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2016, as well as being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Linebacker of the Year and Return Specialist of the Year. Peppers was selected in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in the 2017 NFL draft. He has also played for the New York Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Humphrey</span> American football player (born 1996)

Marlon N. Humphrey is an American football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Hoover High School, where he was named to the USA Today All-USA high school football team in 2012 and 2013. During his tenure, he won a silver medal in the 110 metres hurdles at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. He also was named as a USA Today All-American Track and Field Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Harris (safety)</span> American football player (born 1991)

Anthony Harris is an American football safety for the National Football League (NFL) who is a free agent. He played college football at Virginia, and was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He played his first six seasons with Minnesota, and was the NFL interceptions co-leader in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Ellington</span> American football player (born 1991)

Bruce Ellington is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at South Carolina and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezekiel Elliott</span> American football player (born 1995)

Ezekiel Elijah Elliott, nicknamed "Zeke", is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team All-American honors in 2015. Elliott was selected by the Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL draft. In eight seasons in the NFL, he was a three-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro selection, and led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalvin Cook</span> American football player (born 1995)

Dalvin James Cook is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, earning unanimous All-American honors and finishing his career as the school's all-time leading rusher. Cook was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, and in six seasons with the team, he earned Pro Bowl honors four times. He is the older brother of Buffalo Bills running back James Cook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoree' Jackson</span> American football player (born 1995)

Adoree' K. Jackson is an American football cornerback and return specialist who is a free agent. He played college football for the USC Trojans, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Jim Thorpe Award and the Jet Award during his junior season in 2016. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Jackson spent four seasons with the Titans before signing with the Giants in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Engram</span> American football player (born 1994)

Evan Michael Engram is an American football tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels, earning first-team All-American honors in 2016. He was selected by the New York Giants with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeShone Kizer</span> American football player (born 1996)

DeShone Allen Kizer is an American former football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. Kizer served as the Browns' starter during his rookie season, but his tenure lasted only one year after going winless and leading the league in interceptions. Traded to the Green Bay Packers, Kizer spent one season as a backup in 2018 and also held backup roles with the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans. Having never started a game after his first season with the Browns, Kizer lost all 15 of his starts during his time in the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Licata</span> American football player and coach (born 1992)

Joe Licata is an American football coach and former quarterback. He played college football at Buffalo. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucky Hodges</span> American football player (born 1995)

Temuchin "Bucky" Hodges Jr is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Virginia Tech, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Darnold</span> American football player (born 1997)

Samuel Richard Darnold is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft. At age 21, he was the NFL's youngest opening-day starting quarterback since the AFL–NFL merger. Darnold served as the Jets' starter from 2018 to 2020, but due to inconsistent play and injuries, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Following two seasons with the Panthers, he joined the San Francisco 49ers for one season as a backup. He signed with the Vikings in 2024.

Jarrad Davis is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malik Hooker</span> American football player (born 1996)

Malik Hooker is an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. While at Ohio State, Hooker was named a unanimous All-American in 2016 and won the 2015 CFP national championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Njoku</span> American football player (born 1996)

David Njoku is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami (FL). He was selected by the Browns in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

References

  1. "NFL Records". www.nfl.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  2. "Crafton's Pope had stellar football career". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  3. "Bucky Pope". pro football reference.
  4. "Mike London picks: The Catawba Claw had one sensational season". The Salisbury Post. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  5. "Catawba Football: Bucky Pope "The Catawba Claw"". GoCatawbaIndians.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2016.