The Legend Of Joel Buchsbaum
April 24th, 2025
(This is a repost of a published article Joe runs as an annual tradition for the morning of the first night of the NFL draft.)
Joe’s going to go slightly personal here, a rare, albeit tiny window into Joe’s background on this holiest of high football holidays.
Joe got hooked on the NFL draft as a kid from an alien-like voice that floated through the Midwestern night air and originated from a city Joe finally visited for the first time in September 2012, a decade after that same voice fell silent.
Growing up, two people turned Joe into the football addict he is today. One was Joe’s high school football coach, a guy who played for a virtual who’s who of football coaches: John Madden, Tom Landry, Gene Stallings and Lou Holtz. It kills Joe how much he has forgotten about football from a man unknown to 99.99999 percent of the populace.
Joe warmly remembers covering his first NFL training camp. There was Stallings, the grizzled old Junction Boys survivor and head coach of the then-St. Louis Cardinals. He vividly remembered Joe’s high school coach playing for him (Stallings was Joe’s old coach’s position coach in Dallas), and Stallings treated Joe like family after Stallings learning his protegé coached Joe in high school.
The second source fueling Joe’s unwavering football fetish came from an unlikely location: an unkept Brooklyn apartment.
Joe first heard Joel Buchsbaum on a blowtorch radio station out of St. Louis, KMOX. There, every Monday prior to Monday Night Football (and Sunday nights during the offseason), Buchsbaum, the first nationally-recognized draftnik, would speak football Gospel to strangers throughout flyover country. He provided knowledge on college football players and the NFL that, to this day, Joe finds unmatched — not even by Mel Kiper, not even by Pat Kirwan or Greg Cosell.
People would call the show and ask Buchsbaum about (pick a player), and often before the caller finished his question, Buchsbaum would interrupt and begin rattling off the talents and drawbacks of said player, often beginning his responses with his nasally-thick Brooklynese “Ooohhh-KAY!.. ” as if he was revving up the engine of a Mustang before putting the rig into gear.
Periodically, Buchsbaum would invoke his favorite saying of lesser players, “Looks like Tarzan; plays like Jane.”
Pleasantries were not a forte of Buchsbaum. He was not rude, not even close, but he was very short and impatient with rambling callers.
Joe still remembers a caller asking Buchsbaum about a player the caller claimed was a starting cornerback at Utah. Buchsbaum, in his shrill, nasally, thick Brooklyn accent, corrected the caller almost immediately. No, the player is not from Utah, Buchsbaum said, but from Utah State. And in fact, he was a backup cornerback.
This did not stop Buchsbaum from launching into why the player was not starting despite his abilities.
Mind you, this was long before the days of laptops and the internet, so Buchsbaum couldn’t have Googled the player’s name in five seconds to pull up his information because neither Google nor the internet existed. This also was during the infancy of BSPN, so Utah State football may have well been Charles University of Prague football or some team playing on Mars, for all Joe knew.
Buchsbaum’s knowledge was unreal. And in Joe’s circle of fellow football friends, guys who rarely if ever listened to an AM station, Buchsbaum was like fresh honey to flies. He was the football version of the Rain Man.
Fast forward maybe 15 years and the Sporting News decided to name the best draftnik. They researched Buchsbaum, Mel Kiper and a third guy Joe had not heard of and still can’t remember his name. The Sporting News broke down each man’s final mock draft through four rounds for three consecutive years.
Buchsbaum won big.
A true recluse, Buchsbaum died 23 years ago. In a perverted way Joe was jealous of the guy. All he did was study football, read football, write football, talk football and work his many NFL and college inside sources. Included at the top of the list was Bill Belichick, who tried to hire Buchsbaum several times but was spurned with each offer.
(The guys Joe looked up to in sports growing up are just about gone now. Bobby Knight, Whitey Herzog, Beano Cook, Bill Walsh, John McKay, John Madden, Bobby Bowden, Buchsbaum. Seems like Barry Switzer, Bill Parcells and Tom Osbourne are the last guys left.)
Whenever Joe hears mock draft guys who pump out three mocks a week starting in January brag that they have no interest in accuracy — a draft dude currently employed by the four-letter actually told Joe that — it really offends Joe on several levels. Buchsbaum would be revolted.
So as Day 1 of the draft is here, and maybe by midnight we’ll find out if Donovan Ezeiruaku or Walter Nolen will be terrorizing Bucs opponents for the next decade, Joe can’t help but remember Buchsbaum and that unforgettable voice.
Here’s a nugget from acclaimed football scribe, and friend of Buchsbaum, John McClain, Houston Chronicle columnist emeritus.
Did you know Buchsbaum was on ESPN when the network first televised the draft? He looked like such a nerd. I imagine the network executives didn’t like the way he looked or sounded, so they hired Mel “Ki-pa.”
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe decided to dig up Buchsbaum’s breakdown of Tom Brady coming out of Michigan and with the “positives,” Buchsbaum nailed the analysis.
Positives: Good height to see the field. Very poised and composed. Smart and alert. Can read coverages. Good accuracy and touch. Produces in big spots and big games. Has some Brian Griese in him and is a gamer. Generally plays within himself. Team leader.
Negatives: Poor build. Very skinny and narrow. Ended the ’99 season weighing 195 pounds and still looks like a rail at 211. Looks a little frail and lacks great physical stature and strength. Can get pushed down more easily than you’d like. Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush. Lacks a really strong arm. Can’t drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. System-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib and do things on his own.
Summary: Is not what you’re looking for in terms of physical stature, strength, arm strength, and mobility but he has the intangibles and production and showed great Griese-like improvement as a senior. Could make it in the right system but is not for everyone.
Urban legend is that Belichick, one of the few friends Buchsbaum had, took a flyer on Brady based on Buchsbaum’s recommendation. Belicheat since has acknowledged he would annually go over his draft board with Buchsbaum — a non-team employee — in the hours leading to the draft, a practice absolutely unheard of in NFL circles.
Joe will raise a beer later tonight, remembering Buchsbaum.
Enjoy the draft! Buchsbaum sure would.
April 24th, 2025 at 3:56 am
Cheers Joe! Few if any love the game more than you do sir.
Go Bucs!
April 24th, 2025 at 4:40 am
Heartfelt and heart received. Well done sir!
April 24th, 2025 at 5:42 am
Perfectly done, Joe. Thank you for your dedication to reporting everything surrounding the games, players, coaches, et al. Loving the “Legend of Joel Buchsbaum” too.
April 24th, 2025 at 5:44 am
BUCS ARE GOING TIGHT-END. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.
Colston Loveland is the pick if he falls to 19. There’s a possibility the Bucs may move up a few spots to grab him.
April 24th, 2025 at 6:33 am
This is a JoeBucsFan tradition that I wait for every year.
Thanks again.
April 24th, 2025 at 6:34 am
A legend.
April 24th, 2025 at 6:35 am
And Trask To The Future.
If we are doing projections mine is
after the draft Licht will sign
UDFA Jordan Polk Texas S/CB.
April 24th, 2025 at 7:06 am
Good article. Thanks Joe for reminding us of the days before a million mock drafts.
April 24th, 2025 at 7:11 am
Here it is, love this article every draft day! Go Bucs!
April 24th, 2025 at 7:21 am
Man, I always look forward to reading Joe’s annual story about Joel Buchsbaum and his shows on the Clear Channel blow torch KMOX out of St Louis. Back in the late ’80s and ’90s I used to do a lot of driving between Temple Terrace, Tallahassee and Tuscaloosa AL and often at night I would surf the AM dial of the radio and come across KMOX which came through clear as a bell. I remember listening to Jack Buck call Cardinal games as well as Buchsbaum being a literal encyclopedia of football knowledge, particularly if he was talking the draft. Good memories, thanks for posting this Joes!
April 24th, 2025 at 7:24 am
Happy draft day!!!!
April 24th, 2025 at 7:36 am
I always enjoy this annual remembrance. A fine way to start each draft day with. Kinda the Christmas Story for this holiday. Thanks for keeping the underrated and overlooked remembered.
April 24th, 2025 at 7:36 am
Joe runs his Buchsbaum article, CB watched Draft Day.
Pre-draft rituals…
Both would pass on Bo Callaway…
April 24th, 2025 at 7:42 am
TE? No way. We are 4 deep. Although, I would be happy to draft a TE next year after Keifts contract is up.
Otton is a number 2 TE because he’s not a great blocker. Durham has great hands and Culp looks legit. But I would love to have Gronkowski as our number 1 TE.
Keift shouldn’t be on the field on offense. Culp should be our HB/TE.
He could run wheel routes against slow linebackers. Culp could get carries like Aaron Herandez. Culp has RB legs. He has thick legs. That’s why he breaks tackles.
If Culp could learn to block like a FB, he would be a dangerous weapon as an HB.
April 24th, 2025 at 8:13 am
Great tradition Joe….I also followed JB as a young draftnik. He was the original “draft expert” and in my mind remains the one and only one deserving of that title! He was amazing then and I can only wish he were alive to do it today. I say that because of the immense interest in the draft today and would love to have seen his knowledge available to those who have never seen the remarkable JB in action…
April 24th, 2025 at 8:17 am
Wipes tear, air clinks coffee. Thanks for reminding us of what the game use to be, before million dollar “college students” get drafted to be quarter billionaires and are injured shortly after signing that fat contract (ahem, Watson, AWJ…)
April 24th, 2025 at 8:19 am
Draft Day!!!
April 24th, 2025 at 8:24 am
Great article as always. I like that you have been posting this every year for years now.
April 24th, 2025 at 8:41 am
Excellent Joe, I look forward to the Buchsbaum pre draft post every year.
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 24th, 2025 at 8:44 am
Thanks for the kind words guys. Appreciate it!
(Good one Cobraboy!)
April 24th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Joe’s Bucshbaum annual draft day article is like the claymation Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer at Christmas. Ya just gotta have it…
April 24th, 2025 at 10:50 am
Always remember and never forget.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:04 am
I go well back. I recall him and he is everything Joe is saying. To be successful you have to live and eat whatever you do.
Most people don’t which explains the WHY so many sports reporters are redundant.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:09 am
Thanks for all the great coverage Joes and Ira. The podcast(s) and your articles have been a part of my weekly routine for years. Keep up the great work guys.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:14 am
Thanks Colin, and everyone else. Much appreciate.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
Great article, Joe, love walking down memory lane with you.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
Salut!
April 24th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
I loved reading this guy too. Some of my first favorite Internet reading, actually. Taught me a lot
April 24th, 2025 at 1:58 pm
It’s not draft day without Joel!!! Every year I look forward to no article more than this one.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Every year Joe you write about this man. I always look for it and always enjoy this. Joe what does this saying mean,” Generally plays within himself.” I do not expect a reply so I will research it myself. Thankyou for sharing Buchsbaum with us–you are lucky Joe to of been a listener.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
OK I looked it up meaning=does not do more or try more than they are capable of. very true for Brady, he almost never ran the ball. I think he improved much from his college career though.
April 24th, 2025 at 5:24 pm
You got it firethecannons.
April 24th, 2025 at 6:12 pm
Thanks again for the kind words guys. Glad you guys liked the story and tradition.