| No. 20 | |
| Born: | (1939-07-20)July 20, 1939 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died: | April 29, 2014(2014-04-29) (aged 74) Marlton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver /Return specialist |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| College | Villanova |
| NFL draft | 1962, round: 7, pick: 96 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1962 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1963 | Washington Redskins |
| 1965-1966 | Calgary Stampeders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Records | 100 yard dash[1] |
| Career stats | |
| Receptions | 10 |
| Receiving yards | 236 |
| Receiving TDs | 1 |
| |
Francis Joseph Budd (July 20, 1939 – April 29, 2014) was anAmerican footballwide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL) for thePhiladelphia Eagles and theWashington Redskins. Budd was anOlympic athlete who competed in the1960 Summer Olympics inRome, where he finished fifth in the finals of the100 meter event and was part of the team that finished first in the 4×100 meter relay before being disqualified on a baton pass.[2] He set theworld record in the100-yard dash with a time of 9.2 seconds in 1961, breaking the record that had been set byMel Patton in 1948.[1]
Budd was born inLong Branch,New Jersey. He playedhigh school football atAsbury Park High School inAsbury Park.[3]
He ran track atVillanova University but never played a down of college football. At Villanova he was coached by their legendary track coachJames 'Jumbo' Elliott.
Amazingly. Budd achieved his success despite a deformed right calf, the legacy of a childhood disease, possibly polio.[4]
Budd was considered the world's best 100 y/m sprinter in 1961. That year, he was to equal the world record for 100 y at 9.3 s, set a new world record at 9.2 s for that distance, and was a member of a team that set a world record in the 4 × 100 m relay of 39.1 s.[5]
The next year, 1962, he equaled the world record for 200 m/220 y on a straight track of 20.0 s.[5]
Budd had finished second behindRay Norton in the United States Olympic trials at 100 m in a closely fought contest between the first four finishers, all recording the same time of 10.4 s. At the Olympics themselves, Budd was to finish fifth in the final with perhaps his inexperience at major championships telling against him.[6]
Budd was to experience further disappointment in the 4 × 100 m relay. The United States team (of Budd-Norton-Stone Johnson-Dave Sime) finished first in a world record time of 39.4 s but were disqualified because the at the first exchange from Budd to Norton, Norton started too early and the exchange happened outside the changeover box. The West German team who finished second in 39.5 s received the gold medals and became the new world record holders.
In 1961, Budd was to equal twice the then world record for 100 y of 9.3 s:[7]
This record had stood since 1948 having first been set byMel Patton and subsequently equaled by 12 other athletes.
Then on June 24, 1961, Budd became the first man to run the 100 y in 9.2 s. He was competing in the AAU Championships atDowning Stadium inNew York City.[8]
On July 15, 1961, in a dual USA-USSR meet, Budd was a member of team that set a new world record for the 4 × 100 m relay of 39.1 s.[9]
The next year, 1962, he equaled the world record for 200 m/220 y on a straight track of 20.0 s. It is claimed that Budd, feeling a twinge in a muscle, was easing-up the last 70 m.[10]
Budd was ranked among the best in the US and the world in both the 100 and 200 m sprint events during the period 1960–62, according to the votes of the experts ofTrack and Field News.[11][12][13][14]
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Budd achieved notable success at the AAU championships, the USA national championships.[15]
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Budd wasdrafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the1962 NFL draft and played for the Eagles in 1962 as awide receiver. He played for the Washington Redskins in 1963 before switching to theCanadian Football League, where he played for theCalgary Stampeders in 1965 and 1966.[16][17]
Budd had both sporting and financial reasons for giving up the chance of further glory on the track for the possibility of glory and wealth on the football field; as his wife, Barbera, has stated, "...you've got to remember that Frank loved football, too,....He didn't think it was a mistake at all. There was no money available then in track. He'd been a terrific player at Asbury Park, and he thought, with all his speed (despite no college football experience), he'd have a long career in the NFL.".[18]
In 1995, Budd was one of the seven former Villanova athletes chosen to be a member of the first induction class of the Villanova Wall of Fame.[19]
Budd has been reported to have worked in later life for the New Jersey Department of Corrections and retired in 2002.[20][21]
A resident ofMount Laurel, New Jersey, Budd died on April 29, 2014, in theMarlton section ofEvesham Township, New Jersey. He was 74.[16]
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