Buford Long

Buford Long

Long on 1954 Bowman football card
No. 22
Position:	Defensive back, halfback, end
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1931-12-14)December 14, 1931
Place of birth:	Lake Wales, Florida
Date of death:	September 1, 2006(2006-09-01) (aged 74)
Place of death:	Wauchula, Florida
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:	Lake Wales (FL)
College:	Florida
NFL Draft:	1953 / Round: 5 / Pick: 58
Career history
New York Giants (1953–1955)
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-SEC (1952) Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 33 Receiving yards: 462 Rushing attempts: 52 Rushing yards: 164 Touchdowns: 5 Interceptions: 3 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

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.

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.

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.