I’d made a post about his passing in the NFL Off-Season thread earlier today.
One of the things I found cool about Bud is his athletic journey:
- He lettered in three sports (football, basketball, baseball) for the University of Minnesota
- After graduating, he spent two years playing in the NBA for the Minneapolis Lakers; he was a reserve, but was a member of an NBA championship team there
- He then switched back over to football, and played for the Philadelphia Eagles for two years, as a two-way end; in 1952, he was second in the NFL in receptions and in receiving yards
- He went to Canada, and played four years as a receiver and defensive back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he was a three-time All-Star
- After retiring as a player in 1956, he became the Blue Bombers’ head coach; in ten seasons as their coach, he won four Grey Cups
- And, then, he came back to the NFL, and became the Vikings’ coach