James Parks "Buck" Cheves (November 29, 1898 – April 12, 1995) was a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

player and

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...

. Cheves was a

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

official for 35 years.

Georgia Bulldogs

He led the "ten second

backfield The offensive backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the q ...

" of the 1920 Georgia Bulldogs led by first year coach

Herman Stegeman Herman James Stegeman (January 21, 1891 – October 22, 1939) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field athletics, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Beloit C ...

which compiled an 8–0–1 record and won a

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...

(SIAA) title. It was the first Georgia squad to be known as the "Bulldogs." Cheves played without a helmet because he claimed the headgear impaired his hearing. He returned a kick blocked by Puss Whelchel 87 yards for a touchdown to defeat

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, ranked fourth in ''The 50 Greatest Plays In Georgia Bulldogs Football History''. He also starred in the backfield of

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

. Cheves was also a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

on the Georgia basketball team. Cheves was the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the 1921 basketball team that lost to Basil Hayden and the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...

' "Wonder Team" in the SIAA championship game. A ballad dedicated to Cheves appeared in the student newspaper the ''Red and Black'':

O! Cheves! O! Cheves! In south, thou art rough, The enemy grieves When thou show'st thy stuff, Thou art like a hurricane, Thou hittest them hard, God pity the man Whom thou dost guard.

In 1945 he was president of the touchdown club of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. Cheves was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheves, Buck 1898 births 1995 deaths American football quarterbacks College football officials Guards (basketball) Georgia Bulldogs basketball players Georgia Bulldogs football players Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state) American men's basketball players