Jason Buck: Mormon Athlete
Jason Ogden Buck is a former professional football player. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Buck was born on July 27, 1963, in Moses Lake, Washington. He grew up in Michigan, Oregon, and Idaho. His large farming family struggled financially, and at one point was homeless. Buck played high school football in St. Anthony and Rexburg, Idaho, and college football at Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho). He was forced to leave Ricks because of his family’s financial limitations and no scholarships were available for him. He returned two years later and then attended and played for Brigham Young University. He was voted freshman defensive player of the year and as a sophomore was a first team All-American. As a senior at BYU, he won the Outland Trophy (1986).
His professional career began in 1987 when he was the seventeenth player drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round. He played for four seasons then was traded to the Washington Redskins. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Redskins in 1992. He played in the 1989 Super Bowl with the Bengals, but they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Buck retired from professional football in 1993. He and his wife, Roxi, and four children farmed in Manti, Utah, for several years after his retirement. They now live in Highland, Utah.
Buck was a sports analyst and color commentator for the regional ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX networks. He has worked in financial services. In 2011, he became co-owner of the Utah Blaze, part of the Arena Football League. He has been a motivational speaker. In 2012, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the Utah 2nd district. He was defeated in the primary.
