Bucky Pope

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]

Bucky Pope
Born: (1941-03-23) March 23, 1941
Crafton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)Wide receiver
CollegeCatawba
NFL draft1964 / Round: 8 / Pick 105
Career history
As player
1964–1967Los Angeles Rams
1968Green Bay Packers

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]

References
  1. "NFL Records". www.nfl.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  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 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  5. "Catawba Football: Bucky Pope "The Catawba Claw"". GoCatawbaIndians.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
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