Buster Maddox
American football player (1911–1956)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Woodrow "Buster" Maddox (November 4, 1911 – March 14, 1956) was an American professional football player. A 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.
Greenville, Texas, U.S.
Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
| No. 28 | |||||||
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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. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Greenville (Hunt County, Texas) | ||||||
| College | Kansas State (1931–1934) | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career statistics | |||||||
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Biography
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]
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][15][13]
After his stint in professional football, Maddox lived in Topeka, Kansas, until World War II.[16] He served in the war as a member of the United States Army.[16] He participated in battles in Germany as a member of the 3rd Infantry Division and reached the rank of captain before being discharged.[16] 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.[16] He was ill at the end of his life and died on March 14, 1956, in Lubbock, Texas, at the age of 44.[16] He was buried in Greenville.[16] Maddox was posthumously inducted into the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.[9]
