Buddy Alliston

Buddy Alliston
No. 62
Position:Guard / Linebacker
Personal information
Born:(1933-12-14)December 14, 1933
Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Died:October 1, 2021(2021-10-01) (aged 87)
Cordova, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:Florence
(Florence, Mississippi)
College:Ole Miss
NFL draft:1956 / round: 15 / pick: 176
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:11
Games started:0
Interceptions:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Vaughn Samuel "Buddy" Alliston Jr. (December 14, 1933 – October 1, 2021) was a professional American football player who played the positions of guard and linebacker. He played college football at the University of Mississippi before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in the 15th round of the 1956 NFL draft. Alliston first played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In 1956, he was the runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award. After years of military service, he played in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos in 1960.

Early career

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Alliston played high school football at Florence High School as a fullback.[1][2] He also contributed on special teams, blocking 21 punts over the course of his high school career.[3] In 1951, he blocked five punts in a single game.[4]

In college, he played for the Ole Miss Rebels from 1952 to 1955. As a rookie in 1952, Alliston played as a guard on Ole Miss' rookie "B team".[5] He went on to play as both a left and right guard for the Rebels in the following seasons.[6][7] In 1954, Alliston became known as a quick player who was able to easily tackle opponents on the defensive side of the ball.[8]

By his senior season, Ole Miss head coach Johnny Vaught considered Alliston to be a contender for All-American honors and the Associated Press expected him to be one of "the best guards of 1955".[9][10] The Associated Press went on to recognize Alliston several times throughout the season on their "SEC checklist of stars today".[11][12] At the conclusion of the season, Alliston received a variety of honors, including second-team All-SEC and an honorable mention on the All-American team.[13][14] He was also selected as an honorable mention for both best offensive and best defensive guard in his conference among a poll of SEC coaches.[15] He was voted "Colonel Rebel" by the Ole Miss student body in December 1955.[16] The Ole Miss Rebels defeated the TCU Horned Frogs 14–13 in the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic, with Alliston being named the best lineman of the game.[17]

Professional career

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The Green Bay Packers of the National Football League selected Alliston in the 15th round of the 1956 NFL draft with the 176th overall pick, but he didn't play for the Packers. Instead, Alliston played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League in all sixteen regular season games during their 1956 season, recording two interceptions and a fumble recovery.[1] He was named a Western Interprovincial Football Union all-star at the offensive guard position during his rookie season.[18] Alliston was also named a runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award.[19]

After his rookie season in the CFL, he took a break from professional football to join the United States Air Force. While with the Air Force, he was a player on the Eglin Air Force Base team which won the 1958 Shrimp Bowl against the Brooke Army Medical Center.[20] Alliston rejoined the Blue Bombers in 1959 but played in only one game.[1] In 1960, Alliston initially joined the Oakland Raiders in their training camp before moving to the Denver Broncos.[21][22] Alliston played in eleven regular season games for the Broncos as a linebacker.[22] He retired after the 1960 season.[23] Alliston died on October 1, 2021, at the age of 87.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-9835136-6-7.
  2. ^ "Ex-Heroes". The Monroe News-Star. August 24, 1955. p. 15. Retrieved February 16, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Great Blocker". The Plain Speaker. September 7, 1955. p. 16. Retrieved February 16, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "Untitled". The Bradford Era. November 3, 1953. p. 13. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Rebels B Team To Battle LSU On Vicksburg Field". The Delta Democrat-Times. October 3, 1952. p. 2. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  6. ^ "Spring Football Near For Ole Miss; Harris In Line For Top Rating". The News-Herald. February 2, 1954. p. 14. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  7. ^ Stephens, Ray (October 22, 1954). "Record Crowd at Old Miss, Arkansas Game". Hope Star. p. 15. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  8. ^ "NT Still Hunting 1st Win Over Mississippi University". Denton Record-Chronicle. September 11, 1955. p. 32. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  9. ^ Bailey, Mercer (August 25, 1955). "Rebels Hope To Repeat Record". The Greenwood Commonwealth. p. 5. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  10. ^ Hoobing, Bob (September 4, 1955). "Two Stars Hold Edge For Wings". Herald and News. Associated Press. p. 9. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "Associated Press Names 10 Guards In Star Checklist". The Monroe News-Star. Associated Press. September 27, 1955. p. 15. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  12. ^ "SEC Checklist Of Grid Stars". The Advocate-Messenger. November 1, 1955. p. 6. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  13. ^ Bailey, Mercer (November 28, 1955). "All-Southeastern Conference Football Team Is Announced". The Advocate-Messenger. p. 6. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  14. ^ "All-America". The Courier News. November 18, 1955. p. 15. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  15. ^ "Fob James Rates Most Valuable In SEC Coach Poll". The Advocate-Messenger. November 25, 1955. p. 5. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  16. ^ "Grenada Girl Miss Ole Miss". The Greenwood Commonwealth. December 1, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  17. ^ "Mississippi Gets Upset Over Texas Christian". The Monroe News-Star. January 3, 1956. p. 8. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  18. ^ Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-9835136-6-7.
  19. ^ "Number 54". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. January 26, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  20. ^ "Air Force Defeats Army For Title". The Bonham Daily Favorite. December 15, 1958. p. 4. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  21. ^ "Raiders Announce Roster Prior To First Practice". Santa Cruz Sentinel. July 10, 1960. p. 12. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  22. ^ a b "Buddy Alliston". NFL.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  23. ^ "Bronc Lineman Complains of High Altitude". Greeley Daily Tribune. Associated Press. July 24, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  24. ^ "Buddy Alliston Obituary - Bartlett, TN".
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