Buster Maddox
{{Short description|American football player (1911–1956)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Buster Maddox
| image =
| caption =
| position = Tackle
| number = 28
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 225
| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|11|4}}
| birth_place = Greenville, Texas, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1956|3|14|1911|11|4}}
| death_place = Lubbock, Texas, U.S.
| college = Kansas State (1931–1934)
| high_school = Greenville
(Hunt County, Texas)
| teams =
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1935}})
| highlights =
- First-team All-American (1934)
- First-team All-Big Six (1934)
- Second-team All-Big Six (1933)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 1
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 1
| pfr = MaddBu20
}}
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
Maddox was born on November 4, 1911, in Greenville, Texas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MaddBu20.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|access-date=April 16, 2025|title=Buster Maddox Stats}} His brother, Oss Maddox, was a football coach.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury/170472636/|newspaper=The Manhattan Mercury|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 10, 1934|page=6|title=George Maddox Is All-American}} {{Open access}} He attended Greenville High School and was the school's first alumnus to play in the NFL.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/high_schools.cgi?id=93b89df4|website=Pro Football Reference|access-date=April 16, 2025|title=Greenville (Greenville, TX) Alumni Pro Stats}} In 1931, after high school, he enrolled at Kansas State Agricultural College.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/madd00800.html|website=Pro Football Archives|access-date=April 16, 2025|title=Buster Maddox Stats}} He then won a varsity letter for the Kansas State Wildcats football team in 1932. He was considered a "powerhouse at tackle", but missed the start of the 1933 season due to an infection that required an operation.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury/170474699/|newspaper=The Manhattan Mercury|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 11, 1933|page=3|title=Maddox Returns}} {{Open access}} 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".{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury/170474800/|newspaper=The Manhattan Mercury|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 20, 1933|page=1|title=K. S. And M. H. S. Captains Named}} {{Open access}} He helped the Wildcats compile a record of 6–2–1 and was named an All-Big Six selection.{{cite web|title=1933 Kansas State Wildcats Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=November 7, 2019|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/kansas-state/1933-schedule.html}}
After the 1933 season, Maddox was named Kansas State's team captain for 1934.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-chronicle/170474981/|newspaper=The Morning Chronicle|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 20, 1933|page=6|title=New K. S. C. Leader}} {{Open access}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kstatesports.com/honors/k-state-athletics-hall-of-fame/george-maddox/41|publisher=Kansas State Wildcats|title=George Maddox (2000)|access-date=April 16, 2025}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-parsons-sun/170475270/|newspaper=The Parsons Sun|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 12, 1934|page=8|title=Honors Fall Upon Maddox, K State All-American Man}} {{Open access}} Maddox was unanimously selected first-team All-Big Six as well as first-team All-American.{{Cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Wildcats_to_Powercats/ADMzGjAn4GQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=george+maddox+kansas+state&pg=PA143&printsec=frontcover|title=Wildcats to Powercats: K-State Football Facts and Trivia|page=143|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|date=September 2000|author=Stallard, Mark|isbn=9781461733577}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury/170476320/|newspaper=The Manhattan Mercury|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 3, 1934|page=6|title=Results of Winter Pastime Of Sport Editors Divulged}} {{Open access}} He was the second first-team All-American in school history. According to the book Wildcats to Powercats, Maddox, who stood at {{convert|6|ft|3|in}} and weighed {{convert|240|lb}}, was "one of Kansas State's first great linemen ... with his ferocious blocking and tackling skills." 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent/170476660/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 10, 1935|page=19|title=George Maddox Is Released By Green Bay Pros}} {{Open access}}
Professional career
In February 1935, Maddox signed to play professional football with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL).{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times/170476936/|newspaper=The Capital Times|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 17, 1935|page=15|title=Packers Sign 2 Tackles for 1935|agency=Associated Press}} {{Open access}} 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. He appeared in only one game, as a starter, and was then released in October 1935.
Later life and death
After his stint in professional football, Maddox lived in Topeka, Kansas, until World War II.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60157732/obituary-for-george-w-maddox-aged-44/ |title=George Maddox, 'Cat Gridder Of '34, Dies |date=March 28, 1956 |access-date=September 28, 2020 |newspaper=Manhattan Republic |via=Newspapers.com}} He served in the war as a member of the United States Army. He participated in battles in Germany as a member of the 3rd Infantry Division and reached the rank of captain before being discharged. 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. He was ill at the end of his life and died on March 14, 1956, in Lubbock, Texas, at the age of 44. He was buried in Greenville. Maddox was posthumously inducted into the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.