Former Bills Wide Receiver, Hall of Famer, Dies at 83

Wide receiver Bobby Crockett, who starred in college at the University of Arkansas before playing three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, died May 29. He was 83.

Crockett had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and contracted pneumonia earlier this week, according to WholeHogSports.com.

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A native of Dermott, Arkansas, Crockett was a three-year letterman (1963-65) for the Razorbacks football team, and helped Arkansas win the 1964 national championship.

Elevated to more regular playing time in 1965, Crockett earned All-America and All-Southwest Conference honors. He finished the season with 30 receptions for 487 yards and three touchdowns, and earned a first-team All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of America.

Crockett made seven catches for 121 yards in 1964 with his only touchdown reception helping the Razorbacks earn a victory at No. 1 Texas. Arkansas finished the season 11-0.

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In 1965, Crockett racked up 30 catches for 487 yards and four touchdowns. In his final collegiate game, Crockett caught a Cotton Bowl record 10 passes for 129 yards against LSU in January 1966.

Crockett was drafted twice, by the AFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NFL‘s New York Giants. He chose the Bills and averaged 17.2 yards per catch - eighth in the AFL - as a rookie in 1966.

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Crockett started 11 of his 14 games in his first year with the Bills, who went 9-4-1 in the AFL East but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. Crockett caught one pass for 16 yards in the loss that denied Buffalo a chance to play the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I.

In 28 career games with the Bills from 1966-69, Crockett caught 41 passes for 659 yards and three touchdowns. He retired following the 1969 season and returned home to Arkansas, where he opened a law practice.

Crockett was named to the University of Arkansas’ All-Century team and inducted into the school’s Hall of Honor in 1994. In 2007, Crockett was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2018.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 11:04 AM.