Notable Seminole Birthday: 1991 Jim Thorpe Award Winner Terrell Buckley Turns 55
Born June 7, 1971 in Pascagoula, Miss., Terrell Buckley was one of the most accomplished — and arguably the most accomplished — defensive backs in Florida State football history. He celebrates his 55th birthday today!
Terrell Buckley was a 3-sport athlete during his time at Florida State. Buckley spent three seasons with the football team and two each with the baseball and track and field programs. A dynamic talent, Buckley did his best work on the gridiron. Despite never playing offense, Buckley scored seven touchdowns during his career -- three on punt returns and four interception returns.
After a solid freshman season in which he returned two punts for touchdowns, including the famous "Foola from Pascagoula" at Syracuse in 1989, Buckley earned first-team All-South Independent and All-American honors in each of his final two seasons on campus. In 1990, Buckley led FSU with six interceptions and led the nation with two interception returns for touchdowns.
In 1991, Buckley enjoyed arguably the greatest season ever for an FSU defensive back, leading the nation with a program-record 12 interceptions for nation-leading totals of 238 return yards and two touchdowns, including a memorable score in FSU's 51-31 triumph at No. 3 Michigan. For his efforts as a junior, Buckley won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back and was recognized as a Unanimous All-American.
Selected by the Green Bay Packers with the fifth overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft, Buckley enjoyed a solid 14-year career in the NFL and is one of just 39 players in league history to record 50 career interceptions; he returned six of those for touchdowns. Buckley spent time with the Packers, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, New York Jets and New York Giants.
As a member of the Dolphins in 1996, Buckley led the NFL with 164 interception return yards. In 2001, he helped the Patriots win their first Super Bowl. Inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame in 2003 and College Football Hall of Fame in 2019, Buckley remains the program's all-time leader in interceptions (21), interception return yards (501) and interception returns for touchdowns. Buckley has since gone into coaching, beginning in 2007 at FSU. Buckley was a college head coach for the first time last season at Mississippi Valley State.
