Buddy Leake, the recipient of the 1993 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award and the founder and long-time president of the NFF Oklahoma Chapter, passed away Feb. 18 at the age of 80.

Leake founded the Oklahoma Chapter in 1983 and served as the chapter’s president until 2001. From the beginning, Leake, who knew what a scholarship means to college-bound football players, worked diligently to raise money for the chapter’s Scholar-Athlete Awards.

In 1985, the NFF Oklahoma Chapter began to annually award 11 scholarships of $500 each to high school scholar-athletes, and in 1991 increased to 25 scholarships of $1,000 each.

“The work of the NFF Chapters is important,” said Leake. “It all starts at the high school level. To stress academics and civil leadership, along with a young man's football ability, reflects the kind of image we want to see for amateur football.”

Leake credits his success on and off the football field to lessons he learned playing for his high school coach Bill Hofer and College Football Hall of Fame coach Bud Wilkinson at the University of Oklahoma.

“[Hofer] taught me that with the proper dedication I could reach a maximum level of performance in any part of the game,” said Leake. “And then, of course, all of us who played for Bud Wilkinson continued to learn the lessons we derive from the game of football. When we started the NFF Oklahoma Chapter, I did so because of my love of the game and a desire to help young boys in high school, especially those who believe in the benefits of combining football skills with a strong base of academics and the willingness to help others in the community.”  

Leake was a versatile football player for Wilkinson’s Sooners from 1951-54. In his four seasons in Norman, he appeared at left halfback, right halfback, quarterback and defensive back, while also kicking extra points and punting. His 243 points as a Sooner was a school record that stood until Steve Owens broke it in 1969.

An injury to College Football Hall of Fame halfback Billy Vessels gave Leake his first start as a freshman. He rushed for 121 yards and scored three touchdowns against Kansas and added 167 yards against Missouri. He would start seven games his freshman year, running for 646 yards and 13 touchdowns while connecting on 32-of-33 extra points.

In 1952 he shifted to right halfback and was part of the great Sooners backfield that included Vessels, quarterback Eddie Crowder and fullback Buck McPhail. That season, Leake scored 19 points in Oklahoma’s big rivalry game against Texas. In 1953, he started two games at quarterback and played on defense. In 1954, he was named to the All-Big Eight team.

Leake also starred for the Sooners’ baseball team, leading the conference in home runs one season. He later signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, playing Triple-A ball for Rochester in their minor league system. He also continued his football career, playing in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1955-1958.

With his playing days behind him, the Memphis, Tenn., native returned home and became a life insurance underwriter. Serving as president of the Liberty Bowl Association in 1976, he then moved to Oklahoma City in 1979 where he established Leake & Associates, Inc.

Leake and his wife Carolyn raised eight children: John Patrick, Teresa, Michael, Cynthia, Nancy, Stephen, Kristen and Suzanne.