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| No. 83, 84, 26 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1937-01-17)January 17, 1937 Ponca City, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died: | February 29, 2008(2008-02-29) (aged 71) Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Magnolia(Magnolia, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College: | Rice | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1959: 2nd round, 22nd pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Gilbert Leroy "Buddy"Dial (January 17, 1937 – February 29, 2008) was an American professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL) for thePittsburgh Steelers andDallas Cowboys. He playedcollege football atRice University.
Dial was born on January 17, 1937, inPonca City, Oklahoma, to Lee and Martha (Brown) Dial,[1][2] but grew up inMagnolia, Texas. He attendedMagnolia High School, where he playedsix-man football[citation needed], while being a three-time All-Districtend andlinebacker.[2] He helped his team achieve district titles in his junior and senior years, although they lost the class B regional championship toSugar Land High School in 1953 and toBarbers Hill High School in 1954.[2] In 1955, as a senior, Dial scored 84 points. He was selected to the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Team, and played in the North-South football game.[2]
In 2002, he was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.[3]
Dial earned a scholarship to the Rice Institute (now known asRice University) and played as a two-wayend on thefootball team, being a ferocious defensive player and excellent blocker and receiver on offense.[2][4][5] In 1956, he had 21 receptions for 357 yards, fivetouchdowns, and was selected sophomore lineman of the year in theSouthwest Conference.[1][6] In 1957, he made 21 receptions for 508 yards, and fourtouchdowns (all of which led the Southwest Conference), and was named All-Southwest Conference. He also led the nation with a 24.2 yards per reception average.[6][1]
He contributed to Rice winning the 1957 conference championship,[7] defying preseason predictions,[5] and playing in theCotton Bowl Classic (losing toNavy).[8] Dial also was named to the All-Bowl All-Star team.[1] At the end of the year, Rice was ranked eighth in the nation by theAssociated Press, and number 7 byUnited Press International.[9] The 1957 Rice team was led by two future NFL quarterbacks passing to Dial,Frank Ryan andKing Hill.[10][1]
In 1958, he caught 19 passes for 264 yards and fourtouchdowns. He was the team's co-captain and Most Valuable Player. He was selected consensusAll-American and theColumbus Touchdown Club Lineman of the Year honors.[1][6] He also received the George Martin Award as team MVP.[11] After his senior year, he played in theCollege All-Star game against theNFL championBaltimore Colts (who had defeated the New York Giants in "the greatest game ever played" 1958 championship game[12]), theEast-West Shrine Game and theHula Bowl.[2]
Dial recorded 61 receptions for 1,129 yards in his college career. He also posted 13 career receivingtouchdowns, tying the school record set byJames "Froggie" Williams.[1][6]
In 1971, he was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame.[13] In 1993, he was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame.[1]
Dial was selected by theNew York Giants in the second round (22nd overall) of the1959 NFL draft. He was waived before the start of the season on September 22, 1959.[14]
On September 24, 1959, Dial was claimed off waivers by thePittsburgh Steelers, teaming him withquarterbackBobby Layne.[15] In1960, Dial set a team record by having a 24.3-yard average per reception. He tallied 40 receptions for 972 yards and ninetouchdowns.
In1961, Dial registered 53 receptions (tied for eighth in the league) for 1,047 yards (fifth in the league), a 19.8-yard average (third in the league), and 12touchdowns (second in the league and a Steelers franchise record). He became the first player in team history to gain 1,000 receiving yards and also set a team record with 235 receiving yards in the sixth game against theCleveland Browns, including the longest pass play in Steelers history (88 yards).[16] He set a franchise record by scoring at least onetouchdown in 11 consecutive games.
In1962, he recorded 50 receptions for 981 and six touchdowns. After scoring atouchdown against theDallas Cowboys, a loud cannon charge was set off in front of him (a Steelers tradition) as he ran into the endzone; this was memorialized byNFL Films as one of the league's greatestfollies.[17] The team made thePlayoff Bowl, losing 10–17 against theDetroit Lions.
In1963, he collected 60 receptions (fifth in the league) for 1,295 yards (second in the league and breaking his club record), a 21.6-yard average (led the league) and 9touchdowns (tied for seventh in the league).
On January 1, 1964, with the team looking to shore up its defense, Dial was traded to theDallas Cowboys in exchange for first-round draft choiceScott Appleton, who was selected by the Cowboys after previously agreeing to the deal with the Steelers.[18] Appleton ended up signing with theHouston Oilers of theAmerican Football League, who had also drafted him in the first round.[19] The persistence both teams showed in their attempts to sign Appleton became known as the "Buddy Dial for Nothing" trade.[20]
Dial left with team records of 229 receptions for 4,723 receiving yards, 42 touchdown receptions, single-season touchdown receptions (12), single-game receiving yards (235), single-season receiving yards (1,295), career yard-per-reception average (21.6) and single-season yards-per-reception (24.3). He was a two-timePro Bowl selection.[21]
In 2018, he was inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor.[22]
In1964, Dial started in one game, after being limited with a thigh injury he suffered intraining camp that required surgery. He registered 11 receptions for 178 yards and onetouchdown. His best game came against the Steelers, in which he tallied five receptions for 100 yards.
In1965, he started seven games, before being passed on the depth chart by second-year playerPeter Gent. Dial recorded 17 receptions for 283 yards and onetouchdown in the season.
In1966, he was a backup behind Gent, starting in three games, while making 14 receptions for 252 yards and onetouchdown. In1967, he was placed on theinjured reserve list after having back surgery. He announced his retirement in1968. Dial finished his career with 261 receptions for 5,436 yards, a 20.8-yard average (second in league history), 44touchdowns, and four carries for 14 yards.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1959 | PIT | 12 | 4 | 16 | 428 | 26.8 | 68 | 6 |
| 1960 | PIT | 12 | 12 | 40 | 972 | 24.3 | 70 | 9 |
| 1961 | PIT | 14 | 10 | 53 | 1,047 | 19.8 | 88 | 12 |
| 1962 | PIT | 14 | 10 | 50 | 981 | 19.6 | 62 | 6 |
| 1963 | PIT | 14 | 13 | 60 | 1,295 | 21.6 | 83 | 9 |
| 1964 | DAL | 10 | 2 | 11 | 178 | 16.2 | 41 | 0 |
| 1965 | DAL | 12 | 7 | 17 | 283 | 16.6 | 46 | 1 |
| 1966 | DAL | 10 | 3 | 14 | 252 | 18.0 | 39 | 1 |
| Career | 98 | 61 | 261 | 5,436 | 20.8 | 88 | 44 | |
Dial started Christian devotional services with thePittsburgh Steelers andDallas Cowboys, and played a seminal role with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He considered his roll in introducing open expressions of faith his most important contribution.[2] While playing for the Steelers, he recorded an album of inspirational songs calledBuddy Dial Sings on Word Records. In 1966, he recorded a single with Challenge Records 59352, "Baby" b/w "Back in the Old Days". It became a hit in various regional areas, topping the DallasKLIF radio charts in late 1966 and early 1967, but failed to make the national charts.
Dial moved to theHouston area after retiring from the NFL, living inTomball, Texas. He was both involved in business and was an active speaker for civic, church and charity events.[11]
Injuries during hisNFL career led to significant health problems brought on by the abuse ofpainkilling drugs (eventually losing a kidney), before receiving treatment in the late 1980s. On February 29, 2008, he died at the age of 71, of complications fromprostate cancer andpneumonia.[23]
