Buster Maddox
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| Position: | Tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | November 4, 1911 Greenville, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | March 14, 1956 (aged 44) Lubbock, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Greenville (Hunt County, Texas) | ||||||
| College: | Kansas State (1931–1934) | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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George Woodrow "Buster" Maddox (November 4, 1911 – March 14, 1956) was an American professional football tackle. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was named a first-team All-American as a senior. He later played one game in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers.
Early life
[edit]Maddox was born on November 4, 1911, in Greenville, Texas.[1] His brother, Oss Maddox, was a football coach.[2] He attended Greenville High School and was the school's first alumnus to play in the NFL.[3] In 1931, after high school, he enrolled at Kansas State Agricultural College.[4] He then won a varsity letter for the Kansas State Wildcats football team in 1932.[4] He was considered a "powerhouse at tackle", but missed the start of the 1933 season due to an infection that required an operation.[5] After recovering, he performed well and his play was reported in The Manhattan Mercury to be "equaling the work of any tackle in the Big Six Conference".[6] He helped the Wildcats compile a record of 6–2–1 and was named an All-Big Six selection.[6][7]
After the 1933 season, Maddox was named Kansas State's team captain for 1934.[8] As captain, he led the team to a 7–2–1 record and a 5–0 mark in Big Six play, winning the conference title for the first time in school history.[9][10] Maddox was unanimously selected first-team All-Big Six as well as first-team All-American.[10][11][12] He was the second first-team All-American in school history.[11] According to the book Wildcats to Powercats, Maddox, who stood at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and weighed 240 pounds (110 kg), was "one of Kansas State's first great linemen ... with his ferocious blocking and tackling skills."[11] At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he accepted an invitation to the East–West Shrine Game and was selected for the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game.[2][13]
Professional career
[edit]In February 1935, Maddox signed to play professional football with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).[14] He suffered an injury while practicing for the Chicago All-Star Game and later was injured in training with the Packers, resulting in him seeing little playing time.[13] He appeared in only one game, as a starter, and was then released in October 1935.[4][13]
Later life and death
[edit]After his stint in professional football, Maddox lived in Topeka, Kansas, until World War II.[15] He served in the war as a member of the United States Army.[15] He participated in battles in Germany as a member of the 3rd Infantry Division and reached the rank of captain before being discharged.[15] Maddox worked as a representative for the American Empire Insurance company and was married to the former Jane Kahl, with whom he had a son.[15] He was ill at the end of his life and died on March 14, 1956, in Lubbock, Texas, at the age of 44.[15] He was buried in Greenville.[15] Maddox was posthumously inducted into the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Buster Maddox Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ a b "George Maddox Is All-American". The Manhattan Mercury. December 10, 1934. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Greenville (Greenville, TX) Alumni Pro Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Buster Maddox Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Maddox Returns". The Manhattan Mercury. October 11, 1933. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "K. S. And M. H. S. Captains Named". The Manhattan Mercury. December 20, 1933. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1933 Kansas State Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ "New K. S. C. Leader". The Morning Chronicle. December 20, 1933. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "George Maddox (2000)". Kansas State Wildcats. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ a b "Honors Fall Upon Maddox, K State All-American Man". The Parsons Sun. December 12, 1934. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Stallard, Mark (September 2000). Wildcats to Powercats: K-State Football Facts and Trivia. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 143. ISBN 9781461733577.
- ^ "Results of Winter Pastime Of Sport Editors Divulged". The Manhattan Mercury. December 3, 1934. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "George Maddox Is Released By Green Bay Pros". The Post-Crescent. October 10, 1935. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Packers Sign 2 Tackles for 1935". The Capital Times. Associated Press. February 17, 1935. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f "George Maddox, 'Cat Gridder Of '34, Dies". Manhattan Republic. March 28, 1956. Retrieved September 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
