April 5, 2023

Buddy Tinsley (1924-2011)

    Buddy Tinsley was born in Damon, Texas, and played college football at Baylor. He was drafted in 1948 by the Philadelphia Eagles, but after only one year in the AAFC with the Los Angeles Dons, he had a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers and went north to Canada. Although American, Tinsley was classified as a non-import later in his career under the rules at the time for long time players and naturalized citizens, allowing him to play on Canadian teams. He played eleven years in the Canadian Football League, all with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, from 1950 to 1960. Playing on both sides of the ball, Tinsley was an All-Star on both offense and defense; he won West All-Star honors five times at offensive tackle (1950, 1951, 1952, 1955 and 1956) and two West All-Stars at defensive tackle (1957 and 1958). He played in five Grey Cup games, winning two (1958 and 1959) and losing three (1950, 1953 and 1957), one of the losses coming from the infamous Mud Bowl, where he was rumored he nearly drowned in a mud puddle. Tinsley was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1982, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, as well as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hall of Fame and the Baylor University Hall of Fame. He passed away on September 14, 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at age 87.


Columbia Cemetery
West Columbia

29° 08.454, -095° 38.876

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