Buck Thornton

Buck Thornton

Buck on the run
No. 45 – Minnesota Grey Ducks
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(2014-08-05)August 5, 2014 (aged 46) Ellensburg, Washington, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Ellensburg High School
College:	Central Washington University
DSFL Draft:	2036 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
Minnesota Grey Ducks (2036 (S21)-present)
Roster status:	Active
Player stats at ISFL.net

Buck William Thornton (born August 5, 2014) is an American football safety who currently plays for the Minnesota Grey Ducks of the DSFL. He played college football for Central Washington University (CWU) and was selected 8th overall by the Minnesota Grey Ducks in the 2036 DSFL draft.

Early years

Buck William Thornton was born in Ellensburg, Washington where his father, William John Thornton, was a professor of geology at Central Washington University. Buck's mother, Tina Marie (née Nelson) Thornton worked part time as a secretary in the university's music department. Buck has three younger brothers, Jack, Phillip, and William Jr.

In 2019, William Sr. moved the family to his birthplace of Fairbanks, Alaska where he accepted a position as Chancellor at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks. In Fairbanks, Buck took up hockey and cross-country skiing, as well as competitive shooting. Buck enjoyed spending time at the university with his father and was promptly noticed by several members of the athletic department. By the age of 13, Buck was practicing with both the university cross-county skiing and rifle teams and would participate in conditioning drills with the hockey team in the off season. He showed promise as a biathlete, placing first in both the cross-county and biathlon events of the Region VI High School Championships in his freshman year at West Valley High School.

On February 19th, 2029, one week after Buck's dominant weekend at the Region VI Championships, William Sr. left on a snowmobile trek and did not return. An Alaska Game Warden found William Sr.'s body five days later, having died from exposure.

After William Sr.'s death, Tina Marie moved the family back to Ellensburg to be closer to her family. Tina accepted a full time position at the university and Buck and his brothers started picking up odd jobs at the local farms. Due to the lack of organized winter sports in the area, Buck, now a sophomore at Ellensburg High School, was no longer able to compete in hockey and cross-country skiing. Instead, he took up wrestling in the winter and rugby in the spring. The Bulldogs football coach noticed Buck at rugby practice and, impressed by his work ethic, recruited him to play football in the coming fall.

Thornton made an immediate impact on the field. He led the team with 76 tackles in 2030 on the way to the Bulldogs' first winning season since 2018 and a playoff berth. In 2031, Buck set the state 2A record for tackles with 155. The Bulldogs rolled through the playoffs but eventually fell to Tumwater in the state championship game.

His senior year, Buck placed 4th at the state wrestling championships in the 182lb weight class.

College career

Thornton was not a highly-touted football prospect coming out of high school. He was offered a partial wrestling scholarship to Washington State University with an opportunity to walk on the football team but turned it down in order to attend Central Washington University and stay closer to family.

Thornton saw limited playing time as a freshman (most of his snaps came on special teams) and was struggling to keep up with the speed of collegiate receivers at his free safety position. The Wildcats' defensive backs coach suggested Buck put on some weight in the offseason and transition into the strong safety role.

Over the offseason Thornton climbed from 190lbs to 205lbs and earned a starting spot on the defense. Buck recorded 57 tackles and earned GNAC Player of the Week in week 8, posting 11 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, and a fumble return for a touchdown in a game against Dixie State.

In 2034 Thornton led the Wildcats with 89 tackles, 9 tackles-for-loss, and 3 forced fumbles, earning Division II 2nd Team All-American honors. The Wildcats finished 10-4, losing in the quarterfinals to Minnesota State.

Prior to the 2035 season, Thornton was selected to the preseason DII All-American Team. Buck lived up to the hype, gathering 119 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, 6 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles. He earned DII 1st Team All-American honors as well as a 5th place finish in the Harlon Hill Trophy voting. The Thornton-led defense held oppontents to a school record 11.3 points-per-game en route to an undefeated season and Central Washington's first ever national championship. Thornton picked off West Florida QB Austin Reed in the final minute of the national championship game to seal a 20-19 victory for the Wildcats.

College career statistics

Career statistics			Tackles		Sacks	Interceptions		Other
Season	Team	Games	Total	TFL	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Sfty
2032	CWU	11	10	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	3	0
2033	CWU	12	57	6.5	2	2	0	1	5	2	5	0
2034	CWU	14	89	9	2.5	3	1	1	3	2	9	0
2035	CWU	15	119	14.5	6	4	2	3	4	2	10	2
Total		52	275	30	10.5	9	3	5	14	7	27	2

DSFL career

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	4.35 s	4.23 s	7.3 s	27.9 in (0.71 m)	10 ft 0.4 in (3.06 m)	22 reps	20

2036 season

After his senior year at CWU, Thornton elected to enter the DSFL draft. Many scouts scored him poorly coming into the draft, often citing his Division II college career and questions regarding his ability to keep up with Division I caliber players. Despite the initially poor reviews, Thornton's stock was on the rise leading up to the draft, and the Minnesota Grey Ducks selected him in the first round, 8th overall.

Thornton immediately demonstrated he was ready for the DSFL. In Week 1 vs. the Tijuana Luchadores, the two teams were tied 16-16 when Tijuana received the ball in their own half of the field with 1:50 left in the game. Thornton broke through the line and sacked Tijuana quarterback Ben Slothlisberger, forcing a fumble that would lead to a Minnesota field goal and a 19-16 victory. Buck finished the game with 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble, earning Big Bill Grey Duck of the Week honors for his efforts. Over the next three weeks Buck tallied 11 tackles and 2 sacks. Thornton notched his first interception in Week 5, picking off Portland Pythons quarterback George O'Donnell and returning it for a touchdown on the third play of the game.

Despide Thornton's successes, the defending champion Grey Ducks struggled. After alternating wins and losses through Week 5, Minnesota lost five in a row. In Week 6 Thornton again earned Big Bill Grey Duck of the Week honors, racking up 7 tackles, 1 sack, and a forced fumble in a loss to the London Royals. Over the next four losses he compiled 20 tackles and a forced fumble, including a season high 9 tackles against the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers in Week 10. The Grey Ducks finally snapped out of their losing streak in Week 11 with a 27-14 win over the Norfolk Seawolves, in which Thornton had 3 tackles and an interception. Minnesota won two of their remaining three games - narrowly missing the playoffs.

On the season, Thornton recorded 64 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a touchdown.

Career statistics			Tackles			Sacks	Interceptions		Other
Season	Team	Games	Reg	TFL	Total	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Safety
2036 (S21)	Grey Ducks	14	64	0	64	6	2	1	1	3	1	2	0

Achievements and records

Individual

• DSFL Defensive Back of the Year: 2036
• DSFL Pro Bowl Selection: 2036

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