17 Facts About Ron Widby

George Ronald Widby was an American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.

Ron Widby was a member of the New Orleans Buccaneers of the American Basketball Association.

Ron Widby played college football at the University of Tennessee.

From his childhood in Knoxville, Ron Widby showed tremendous athletic promise.

Ron Widby did just that, signing with Tennessee after starring as a quarterback, safety, and punter at Fulton High School in Knoxville.

Ron Widby met Tennessee's golf coach, who upon finding out that Widby had been on Fulton's varsity golf team, invited him to try out for the team.

Ron Widby had the unusual situation of having his football team playing in the 1965 Bluebonnet Bowl and at the same time the basketball squad was participating in the Gulf South Classic, so he was ferried by airplane back and forth between Shreveport and Houston as his playing schedule required.

Ron Widby was named a second-team All-American in basketball, and was the SEC's basketball Player of the Year.

Ron Widby scored 50 points in his last regular season game against Louisiana State University, finishing his college career with 576 points.

Ron Widby thought about continuing with golf, but decided against it because it interfered with NFL contract negotiations.

Ron Widby was selected in three professional drafts in two sports.

Ron Widby had a franchise and an NFL record, with an 84-yard punt against his former team the Saints and set a second club mark by averaging 53.4 yards per punt.

Ron Widby finished second in the league with a 43.3-yard average.

Ron Widby played in Super Bowl VI and became the second Cowboys punter to be named to the Pro Bowl.

Ron Widby played two seasons for the Packers before suffering a ruptured spinal disc in a freak accident, that would cost him the last two games of 1973, all of the 1974 season, ending his career and leading to his release on July 18,1975.

Ron Widby averaged 41.8 yards per punt in 1972 and 43.1 yards in 1973.

Ron Widby later became a club pro at a country club in Texas, and once he turned 50, he entered the qualifying school for the Senior PGA Tour twice, just missing out on his tour card on his second attempt.