Recognition continues to shine on Marv Hubbard, going on three years after the Randolph Central School graduate’s death and more than 40 years after his NFL playing career.
Hubbard will be posthumously inducted as one of 15 members of the newest Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame class, the hall recently announced.
A 1963 Randolph graduate, Hubbard went on to play on scholarship at Colgate University, then played for the Raiders in the AFL from 1969-76, becoming one of the league’s best fullbacks as a three-time All-Pro, and finishing his career after playing for the Detroit Lions in 1977.
Despite making his living between the tackles — “in the business district,” he’d call it — Hubbard’s 4.8 yards per carry still ranks fourth in NFL history among fullbacks and tied for 13th overall with the likes of Adrian Peterson. He’s the fifth-leading rusher in Raiders franchise history at 4,394 yards, and did it at a better yard-per-carry than all in the top five but Napoleon Kaufman (4.9).
A native of Red House, Hubbard continued to live in the Bay Area and recorded country music including the single “Fullbacks Ain’t Supposed to Cry,” which reflected on the end of his career.
Hubbard died of cancer May 4, 2015, three days before his 69th birthday. RCS held a public memorial for Hubbard the next month, as friends and family recalled the star fullback’s early days .
“Marv wasn’t a flower on the field; he was the whole bouquet,” said Tom Wade, who played quarterback alongside Hubbard. “As we know, he was tough, fast and big. He was great with a football and a baseball and his teammates knew it, but most importantly the other team (knew it).”
Hubbard was a 2015 inductee to the Randolph Central School Wall of Fame, the second year of the program honoring RCS graduates. Wade and former coach Dave Wheeler presented on his behalf at the time.
“I consider it a privilege to have coached Marvin Hubbard,” Wheeler said. “He has shown his outstanding ability as an athlete and deserves to be a new member of the Randolph Central School Wall of Fame.”
The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame class will be introduced with a public press conference at 4 p.m. June 6 in KeyBank Center in Buffalo, followed by an induction dinner at a date to be announced. After the latest induction dinner, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame will have 330 members since its inception in 1991. This year’s Hall of Fame class also includes Buffalo native former heavyweight boxer “Baby” Joe Mesi and PGA golfer Lonnie Nielsen.
The majority of the hall’s honorees in the past 28 years made their contributions in the Buffalo area, Erie or Niagara counties. But some, including St. Bonaventure coach Eddie Donovan and big man Bob Lanier and Bills trainer and Allegany native Bud Carpenter, can trace back to the Southern Tier. You can add Hubbard to that list soon.
A press release stated the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame “honors those who have enhanced our lives with their performances and commitment to Western New York sports, an effort surpassed only by the positive impressions they have left on our athletes of tomorrow.”
Also at the introduction, the GBSHOF’s board of directors will announce monetary awards from its Amateur Sports Development Fund, which is annually awarded to “amateur athletes, teams and organizations seeking financial assistance to foster the pursuit of a higher level of athletic achievement,” according to a press release. Applications are accepted until May 4 at www.buffalosportshallfame.com/apply-for-funds/.
More information on the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame is available at www.gbshof.com.
The full GBSHOF Class of 2018 (‘D’ indicates posthumous inductees):
Werner “Babe” Birrer (D) – Major League and Buffalo Bison pitcher
Bill Bradshaw – Highly acclaimed college administrator
Gina Castelli – Canisius College standout hoopster and college coach
John Faller – Champion Sweet Home football and lacrosse coach
James Hewson (D) – Track and field Olympian
Marv Hubbard (D) – Three-time NFL All-Pro fullback
“Baby” Joe Mesi – Golden Gloves Champion and undefeated heavyweight boxer
Lonnie Nielsen – PGA golfer and senior tour champion
Barry Smith – Legendary NHL coach, administrator, Stanley Cup champion
Louise, Estelle & Mary Weigel (D) – Figure skating champions
Jimmy “Bug” Williams & Rickey Williams – College and professional basketball standouts
Jeff Yeates – NFL player and college football standout
(Salamanca Press sports editor Sam Wilson may be contacted at swilson@oleantimesherald.com)
