Tribe Mourns Loss of Legend, Garrard “Buster” Ramsey

Former Football Great Passes at Age 87

09/18/07 6:22PM

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The College of William and Mary athletics program mourns the passing of Garrard “Buster” Ramsey, one of the greatest players in the storied history of the Tribe’s program. Ramsey passed away Sunday, September 16th in Signal Mountain, TN.

Ramsey (1939-42) was a two-way lineman for the College who was recruited by William and Mary out of Tennessee in 1939, he started every game at guard, made three Southern Conference and all-State teams, was named first team All-America guard by the Associated Press, and played in not one, but two College Football All-Star games at Soldiers Field against the pro champions. He was also named to the Virginia Half-Century team in 1951.

Former William and Mary football coach Jackie Freeman always maintained that “Buster was the finest football player I ever played with or against”, and Ramsey’s head coach coach Carl Voyles went further, calling Ramsey “pound for pound, the finest football player I ever saw.”

At 6-2, 185-195 (not unusual size for the time), Ramsey went onto become an All-NFL guard, playing for the World Champion Chicago Cardinals for many years and then coaching in the NFL where he won additional championships.
In 1978, he was elected to the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was elected to the Knoxville, Blount County, State of Tennessee, William and Mary and the Commonwealth of Virginia Halls of Fame.

After college, Buster served as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy during WW II. He was a drill instructor and played football on the undefeated and unscored upon Bainbridge Naval team. He was elected to the All-Service team in 1943 and 1944. A protégé of NFL founders Jimmy Conzleman and Curly Lambeau, Buster then had a 20 year career as a player and coach. He played for the old Chicago Cardinals and was named to the 1947, 1948, and 1949 All-Pro teams as a two-way player. Named to the NFL All-Decade team for the 1940s by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ramsey was also named one of the three hundred greatest players in the history of the sport in 1997. His Cardinal team won the NFL Championship in 1947 and was runner-up in the famous snow bowl in 1948.

In 1952, Ramsey joined the Detroit Lions as head defensive coach. He was instrumental in the development of the 4-3 defense and was the first coach to blitz linebackers, calling it the Red Dog. During his tenure with the Lions, the team won four divisional championships and three world championships. Three of his defensive stars were eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1959, he was named the first head coach of the Buffalo Bills in the newly formed American Football League. Buster coached five more years, completing his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965.

Mr. Ramsey is survived by his three children: Gary Ramsey and his wife Anne of Signal Mtn., Tenn.; Beth Wilkinson and her husband Bob of Ypsilanti, Mich.; Bill Ramsey and his wife Shellie of Ringgold, Ga.; five grandchildren: Gray Ramsey and his wife Emily of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Brian Ramsey and his wife Jennifer of Ooltewah, Tenn.; Stephen Ramsey of Signal Mtn., Tenn.; Will Ramsey and Laura Ramsey of Ringgold, Ga..

Graveside funeral services will be held at Grandview Cemetery, Maryville, Tenn., Saturday, September 22, at 12:30 P.M.. The family will be receiving friends from 10 A.M. to Noon on Saturday at McCammon-Ammons-Click funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Blount County Children’s Home, 903 McCammon Ave., Maryville, TN 37801 and Friends of the Smokies, P.O. Box 1660, Kodak, TN 37764.