2024 Buck Buchanan Award Winner: Jayden Woods

Ashley Collins - 1/4/2025, 11:19:57 PM

The History of the Buck Buchanan Award

The Junious “Buck” Buchanan Memorial Award was established in 1992 and is presented annually to the most outstanding lineman or linebacker in the big class (Missouri Classes 5-6 and Kansas Classes 5A-6A) category. From 1992- 99, the award was given to one Missouri and one Kansas player, but the award has only been given to the most outstanding player since 2000.

The winner of the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award was Mill Valley Senior linebacker and defensive end Jayden Woods.

Jayden Woods, a senior defensive end at Mill Valley High School, had an incredible season, earning him the title of the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award. Woods was a key to the Jaguar's successful season, nearly securing another state title but came up short in sectionals by 1 point.

Throughout the season, Woods accumulated impressive statistics, including 90 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and an interception, bringing his career totals to 212 tackles, 20.5 sacks, and 25.5 tackles for loss over 37 games.

In addition, he is an incredible multi-sport athlete, qualifying for Kansas State wrestling and being a 2X state champion in discus. He has already committed to college at the University of Florida.

His athletic performance earned him several accolades in his high school career, including:

Sports in Kansas 5A Defensive Player of the Year
All-Classes Defensive Player of the Year
Two-time Sports in Kansas Top 11 selection

Who was Buck Buchanan?

Buck Buchanan was the first player drafted in the 1963 American Football League Draft. Selected by the Kansas City Chiefs, Buck quickly proved the rave notices that preceded him were not unfounded. Eddie Robinson, his coach at Grambling, where he had been an NAIA All-America in 1962, called him “the finest lineman I have seen.”

Others who had watched Buck in action were equally enthusiastic. Born September 10, 1940, in Gainesville, Alabama, Buck had the physical size – 6-7 and 270 pounds – plus the athletic instincts to be exceptionally successful at his job of foiling opposition offenses. He was particularly effective at intimidating the passer, and, in one season alone in 1967, he batted down 16 opposition passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. He was clocked at 4.9 in the 40 and 10.2 in the 100 at Grambling, and with that speed, he could range from sideline to sideline to make tackles.

Despite the weekly pounding he took on the scrimmage line, Buck was extremely durable. He played in 182 career games, including a string of 166 straight. After dabbling briefly at defensive end as a rookie, Buck settled down to his permanent job as the Chiefs’ defensive right tackle. He was named to his first AFL All-Star game after his second season in 1964. It was the first of an eight-season period during which he played in either the AFL All-Star game or the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. He was a virtually unanimous All-AFL choice from 1966 through 1969 and then won All-AFC honors in 1970 and 1971. He was a defensive leader for the Chiefs in their losing effort in Super Bowl I. Then he was outstanding in Kansas City’s 23-7 upset of Minnesota in Super Bowl IV that saw the Buchanan-led defense completely stifle the vaunted Vikings attack.

Buck was a gentle and caring individual who took great pride in working with and helping people throughout the Kansas City community. Along with the trophy, which resides at the recipient's high school for one year, the Simone-Fontana Foundation presents a donation of $1,500 to the athletic department of the recipient’s high school.