Bob “Buddy” Royer

• Post by: mcalibrary
• January 12, 2024
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INDUCTEE

Just as he had done throughout his playing career, Bob “Buddy” Royer has earned his spot in the Ed Romance Chapter Class of 2018. Buddy was recruited out of Mount Carmel High School following his graduation in 1960 by Head Football Coach Earle Edwards to travel south to join the Wolfpack at North Carolina State University. Edwards’s tenure at N.C. State covered the time from 1954 to 1970 and was credited with laying the foundation for future success of the Wolfpack in the very strong Athletic Coast Conference. Buddy Royer was a great part of that foundation. Buddy had completed a very successful freshman year at North Carolina State on a team that was 4-0 and defeated North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, and Virginia. He was a starter at Middle Linebacker and Tight End at a time when freshmen were prohibited from playing varsity college athletics.

At the start of his sophomore year during summer workouts, Coach Edwards moved him to center and he found himself on the 5th team looking up. He gradually moved to the 3rd team before the start of the season and insured a place on the travel team. By the third game of the season, Royer had progressed to the starting center position for All American and All Pro quarterback Roman Gabriel. Gabriel later played with the Rams and Eagles in the NFL. At that time, players played two ways, giving Royer the opportunity to play and start at middle linebacker for the next two years. He also played with Joe Scarpati (Eagles and Vikings) and against the famous Leroy Jordan of the Dallas Cowboys, Bob Brown (Eagles and Rams) and Gary Collins (Cleveland). In the year following his time there, the Wolfpack played in the Liberty Bowl which was only the second bowl game in school history. Buddy has great satisfaction in knowing he was an integral part of the Wolfpak’s return to the national stage.

Buddy’s career began with Coach Mike Terry and the Red Tornadoes. He was one of only a few freshmen ever brought up to the varsity in 1956 and would go on to letter and start for three years. He played a number of positions including guard, end, linebacker, halfback and returned kicks. During his junior campaign, the Tornadoes won their first 8 games. Unfortunately one of Shenandoah’s greatest ever teams would have them finish 8-2-1.

Royer also ran track for Coach Gerald Breslin, competing in the 100, 220 and 440 yard runs, as well as, relays, low hurdles and the javelin. He was part of a medal team in District IV in the 4 x 220 with Steve Bolick, Joe Menapace and Fred Hynoski and he also medaled in the javelin.

Royer was only one of only three underclassmen to play Tornado Basketball for Coach Glen Menges in 1959 and he became a senior co-captain in 1960.

Following his stint at NC State, Uncle Sam called and had Buddy serving for 3 years with the US Army. He was part of an MP Unit and served with security at the NATO headquarters in Versailles, France and later served for 16 months in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, always with Top Security Clearances.

After returning home, Buddy moved to Philadelphia and was a computer programmer for International Union in Center City for more than 13 years. Seeking a change of pace, Royer moved on to Atlantic City with the emergence of the Casino industry. He eventually became a games supervisor at the Claridge Casino and worked for a total of 5 casinos, staying until his retirement at age 65.

He and his wife Jan made their home in the Lindenwold Area of New Jersey and are the parents of two daughters Nicole and Stephanie, as well as three awesome grandchildren Alexis, Anthony and Jason