Big Guy

In these days of stories about bad boy sport stars, one gets tired of hearing about these money spoiled, self centered, so called "heroes" of the sports world. Cash has nothing to do with class!
Many of us are fortunate to meet some of those folks. I've met a few, but none like Doug Buffone.









I met number 55 at a National Guard summer camp. 

Many of the Chicago Bears were there. Names like Dick Butkus, Ed O'Bradovich, Jimmie Jones, Frank Cornish, and others put on the uniform that summer of 66.
We were members of the  Illinois National Guard 155mm Howitzer artillery batteries.

Here is the type of gun we used    

 Doug was given a bunk next to mine. He was new to Chicago but I knew who he was. We talked a lot over those two weeks. Unlike the other "DB", he was friendly, personable, and very humble. We were on the same 155mm Howitzer team. Talk about shooting with the big guns.

As the #2 man I got to set the fuse, close the breech and pull the lanyard. I was a little guy and could stand back of the recoil. The bigger guys were given the job of handling powder and projectiles. The projo's weighed almost 50 pounds. They had nice little rings on the noses for hoisting.  The "boys" would take two at a time, one in each middle digit. Because they could!

 The other "DB" had an entourage of weekend warriors following him around.

Doug was one of the guys. You would have never known he was one of the Chicago Bear greats. 

We met again at the Chicago Avenue armory during one of the mobilizations. I was a cook then, and he was driving deuce and a half trucks.

 He was "Big Guy" and I was "Pacer". I followed him over the years as he retired, went into TV and radio, opened a restaurant, had kids, and grew a little older. All through that time he remained a gentle and humble guy. My friend Eddie Edward Bianco was in a wine club Doug was a member of. A bunch of Italians pooling their resources and making gallons and gallons of red wine.
 

Doug may have played in the shadows of some but he was always a shining light to others. One of my true sports heroes! 

I wish there were more like him! Exclamation Point!

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                                               Signing autographs with Dan Hampton





He doesn't have a Facebook page but his son Ryan does.

 Ryan Buffone spent his college years at Purdue. A champion rower, Ryan has gone on to become an airplane pilot and obtained his commercial license. Well liked, he is a chip off the old block.
 
Nice guys are winners before the race even begins!