Spokane sports legend William ‘Bud’ Roffler dies

William “Bud” Roffler, a former NFL player and star at Washington State and considered one of the top athletes from the Inland Northwest, has died. Roffler, 84, died of pneumonia Tuesday night at Valley General Hospital, according to his daughter, Debbie Roffler. Funeral services are pending, she said. Roffler was born on Sept. 16, 1930 in Pine City, Washington, but moved to Spokane before his sophomore year in high school and enrolled at Lewis and Clark. There he found instant stardom, playing football, basketball and baseball. He did the same at WSU, capping his career by rushing for 132 yards in a 27-25 win over Washington. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1952 and played three years in the NFL before his career was cut short by a concussion suffered in an auto accident. At WSU, Roffler played guard for basketball coach Jack Friel and center fielder for baseball coach Buck Bailey. On the football field he played everything: halfback, safety, placekicker and punt and kick returner. Roffler was inducted in the Washington State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.