Frank Budd

Who was Frank Budd?

Francis Joseph "Frank" Budd was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He ran track at Villanova University but never played a down of college football. Budd was an Olympic athlete who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where he finished fifth in the finals of the 100 meter event and was part of the team that finished first in the 4x100-meter relay before being disqualified on a baton pass. He set the world record in the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.2 seconds in 1961 at Downing Stadium in New York City, breaking the record that had been set by Mel Patton in 1948.

Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, Budd played high school football at Asbury Park High School in Asbury Park. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1962 NFL Draft and played for the Eagles in 1962 as a wide receiver. He played for the Washington Redskins in 1963 before switching to the Canadian Football League, where he played for the Calgary Stampeders.

A resident of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Budd died on April 29, 2014, in the Marlton section of Evesham Township, New Jersey. He was 74.