Norm Bulaich
Norman Batton Bulaich (/ˈbuːlɑːʃ/ BOO-lahsh;[1] born December 25, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL).
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| No. 36, 31 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | December 25, 1946 Galveston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 218 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | La Marque (La Marque, Texas) | ||||||||||||
| College: | TCU | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1970 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||||
Professional career
After playing college football at Texas Christian University, Bulaich was selected in the first round (18th overall) in the 1970 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts, for whom he wore number 36.
The 6'1", 217-pound running back/fullback held the Colts single-game rushing record, 198 yards against the New York Jets on September 19, 1971, until the 2000 season when Edgerrin James broke the record by rushing for 219 yards.[2][3] Later in that 1971 season, Bulaich was named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad. He was also featured on the cover of the November 8, 1971 issue of Sports Illustrated.[1] He was traded from the Colts to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 1973 fourth-round selection (83rd overall–Kansas defensive end Gery Palmer) and a 1974 second-round pick (37th overall–Ed Shuttlesworth) on January 29, 1973.[4][5]
In 120 career games with the Colts (1970–72), Eagles (1973–74) and Miami Dolphins (1975–79), Bulaich rushed for 3,362 yards and 30 touchdowns with a 4.1 rushing average. He also made 224 receptions for 1,766 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Bulaich currently lives in Hurst, Texas, and worked as an executive for IESI-BFC Ltd., a waste management company, in Haltom City, Texas.[2][3]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1970 | BAL | 12 | 12 | 139 | 426 | 3.1 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 123 | 11.2 | 20 | 0 |
| 1971 | BAL | 13 | 12 | 152 | 741 | 4.9 | 67 | 8 | 25 | 229 | 9.2 | 30 | 2 |
| 1972 | BAL | 6 | 2 | 27 | 109 | 4.0 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 55 | 6.1 | 10 | 0 |
| 1973 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 106 | 436 | 4.1 | 20 | 1 | 42 | 403 | 9.6 | 80 | 3 |
| 1974 | PHI | 11 | 8 | 50 | 152 | 3.0 | 13 | 0 | 28 | 204 | 7.3 | 26 | 0 |
| 1975 | MIA | 14 | 1 | 78 | 309 | 4.0 | 30 | 5 | 32 | 276 | 8.6 | 59 | 5 |
| 1976 | MIA | 11 | 7 | 122 | 540 | 4.4 | 35 | 4 | 28 | 151 | 5.4 | 25 | 0 |
| 1977 | MIA | 14 | 7 | 91 | 416 | 4.6 | 29 | 4 | 25 | 180 | 7.2 | 14 | 0 |
| 1978 | MIA | 16 | 3 | 40 | 196 | 4.9 | 63 | 2 | 16 | 92 | 5.8 | 22 | 0 |
| 1979 | MIA | 9 | 0 | 9 | 37 | 4.1 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 53 | 6.6 | 13 | 1 |
| 120 | 66 | 814 | 3,362 | 4.1 | 67 | 30 | 224 | 1,766 | 7.9 | 80 | 11 | ||
References
- Maule, Tex. "They Had Better Be Super," Sports Illustrated, November 8, 1971. Retrieved October 14, 2020
- Klingaman, Mike (December 15, 2011). "Catching Up With ... former Colts RB Norm Bulaich". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- Buckel, Bob (November 2, 2013). "A sports legend, doing just fine in garbage". wcmessenger.com. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- Wallace, William N. "Jets Get 2 Saints To Help Defense," The New York Times, Tuesday, January 30, 1973. Retrieved November 1, 2020
- 1973 NFL Draft Pick Transactions, January 30 (Rounds 1–7) & 31 (Rounds 8–17) – Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved November 1, 2020