American Football Database
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Eugene Noble "Buck" Mayer (c. 1892 - October 21, 1918) was an All-American football player for the University of Virginia. He was the first football player from a Southern school to be recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Mayer played halfback for the Virginia Cavaliers from 1912 to 1915.[1] Mayer also competed for Virginia in track and field. He threw the 16-pound shot put 42 feet, 3 inches, ran the 100-yard dash in 10.1 seconds, and had a career best of 22 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump.[2] In 1915, Mayer was selected as a first-team All-American by International News Service sports editor Frank G. Menke and Eastern football expert Parke H. Davis. He was the first player from a Southern school to be a consensus first-team All-American.[1][3] He led Virginia to an 8-1 record in 1915, scoring five touchdowns in a 74-0 win over Richmond.[1] During Mayer's four years at the University of Virginia, the football team compiled a record of 39-6. He set school records for most points scored in a game (36), most touchdowns in a season (21 in 1914), most career touchdowns (48), and career points scored (312).[4]

In addition to athletics, Mayers was an excellent student who earned at Rhodes scholarship.[5] He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1916 with a law degree.[2]

After graduating, Mayer began practicing law in Charleston, West Virginia.[6] In 1918, during World War I, Mayer enlisted in a machine gun company. He died of pneumonia at Camp Johnston in Jacksonville, Florida, in October 1918.[6][7] He was 26 years old at the time of his death,[6] and was survived by his wife and one child.[7]

Mayer was posthumously inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.[4]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Great Virginia Players". University of Virginia Cavaliers. http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1109333&DB_OEM_ID=17800.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Eugene Noble "Buck" Mayer". Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. http://www.virginiasportshalloffame.com/hall/induct_mayer.html.
  3. Patrick Garbin. "Bob McWhorter: 'Everybody's All-American'". Patrick Garbin. http://www.patrickgarbin.com/bmcwhorter.pdf.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Clay Shampoe (2005). The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, p. 48. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-1776-3.
  5. "untitled". The Columbus Enquirer-Sun. 1918-10-26.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Football Player Dead". The Washington Post. 1918-10-23.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Virginia Obituary". The Wall Street Journal. 1918-10-24.


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