(From the Elbert Dubenion Drive Planning Committee)

The Village of Bluffton will recognize Bluffton University’s most famous athlete in a ceremony at noon, Friday, Oct. 4, with the unveiling of Elbert Dubenion Drive.

The Drive covers a section of Bentley Road in front of Bluffton University’s Salzman football stadium from the Yoder Recital Hall parking lot to the intersection of Bentley and Elm Street. The ceremony will take place near the recital hall portion of the Drive.

The ceremony, open to the public, will include the unveiling of Drive signs and a brief program recognizing Dubenion, a 1959 Bluffton College graduate, who played for nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills professional football team. He is the only Bluffton athlete to play professional football. Following his playing days, Dubenion served as a college scout for the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, as well as working for the Bills.

Bluffton Mayor, Richard Johnson, will read a proclamation and several teammates, will speak. Members of Dubenion’s family will also attend.

The group launching the project includes teammates who played football with Dubenion and fans who watched him play during his college years from 1955 to 1958.

One of the alumni committee members is Jim “Spike” Berry,  who quarterbacked the Bluffton College Beaver football team during the Dubenion era at Bluffton.

 In his first year at Bluffton, Dubenion worked on the Bluffton village street crew. As a town celebrity, downtown business owners were among his most loyal fans, making him the most recognized Bluffton student for a generation of those community leaders.

Among his college-era achievements was being named first team Small College All-American in 1958 and was among 33 players selected to play in the College All-Star game in 1959 against the Baltimore Colts. As a member of the Buffalo Bills, Dubenion played in the 1964 NFL Pro Bowl. He holds the record for the longest reception in AFL playoff history with a 93-yard TD. He is also a member of the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.

 Dubenion died at age 86 on Dec. 26, 2019, at his residence in Westerville, Ohio. His wife, Marilyn, is also a Bluffton College graduate.

 Members of the planning committee are Tom Benroth, Jim “Spike” Berry, Jim Buffenbarger, Charles Buroker, Larry Copeland, Everett Collier, Don Hostetler, Gene Long,  Ronald Lora, Mary Ramseyer, Richard Ramseyer and Fred Steiner.