{{Short description|American football player (1928–2004)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Bones Weatherly | image = Gerald Weatherly - 1954 Bowman.jpg | upright = .85 | caption = Weatherly on a 1954 Bowman football card | number = 45, 84, 50 | position = Linebacker | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|12|26}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|12|28|1928|12|26}} | death_place = Cuero, Texas, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 218 | high_school = Cuero (Texas) | college = Rice (1945, 1947–1949) | draftyear = 1949 | draftround = 8 | draftpick = 72 | pastteams = * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1950}}, {{NFL Year|1952|1954}}) | highlights = * Second-team All-SWC (1949) | statlabel1 = Interceptions | statvalue1 = 8 | statlabel2 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue2 = 5 | statlabel3 = Total touchdowns | statvalue3 = 3 | pfr = W/WeatBo20 }}
'''Gerald Craft''' "'''Bones'''" '''Weatherly''' (December 26, 1928 – December 28, 2004) was an American professional football linebacker who played four seasons with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Bears in the eighth round of the 1949 NFL draft after playing college football at Rice Institute.
==Early life== Gerald Craft Weatherly was born on December 26, 1928, in Houston, Texas.<ref name="Pfa">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/players/w/weat00600.html | title=GERRY WEATHERLY | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref> He attended Cuero High School in Cuero, Texas.<ref name="Pfa"/>
==College career== Weatherly was a lettermen for the Rice Owls of Rice Institute in 1945, 1947, 1948, and 1949.<ref name="Pfa"/> He was named second-team All-Southwest Conference by both the Associated Press and United Press as a center in 1949.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rice and Baylor Dominate All-Star Southwest Conference Grid Team|newspaper=The Corsicana Daily Sun|date=November 30, 1949|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3036520/rice_and_baylor_dominate_allstar/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=M'Fadin and Wolfe Rate UP's All-SWC|newspaper=The Austin Statesman|date=December 2, 1949|page=23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51890466/mfadin-and-wolfe-rate-ups-all-swc/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was inducted into Rice's athletics hall of fame in 1974.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://riceowls.com/sports/2019/1/23/hall-of-fame-inductees?id=4594 | title=Hall of Fame Inductees | publisher=riceowls.com | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref>
==Professional career== Weatherly was selected by the Chicago Bears in the eighth round, with the 72nd overall pick, of the 1949 NFL draft.<ref name="Pfr"/> He signed with the Bears on June 9, 1950.<ref name="transactions"/> He played in six games, starting two, during the 1950 season, intercepting two passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns while also recovering one fumble.<ref name="Pfr"/> His two interception return touchdowns tied him for the league lead that year with Warren Lahr.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1950/leaders.htm | title=1950 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref> Weatherly became a free agent after the 1950 season and missed the entire 1951 season due to being drafted into the United States Army.<ref name="Obit">{{cite news | url=https://obits.dallasnews.com/us/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/name/gerald-weatherly-obituary?id=27623021 | title=Gerald Craft Weatherly | work=Dallas Morning News | date=January 2005 | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref> He played football at Fort Sam Houston while in the Army.<ref name="Obit"/> He re-signed with the Bears on November 12, 1952.<ref name="transactions"/> Weatherly appeared in five games, starting two, in 1952, recording three interceptions and one fumble recovery.<ref name="Pfr"/> He played in all 12 games, starting four, in 1953, totaling one interception and three fumble recoveries.<ref name="Pfr"/> He played in all 12 games for the second consecutive season, starting 11, in 1954, intercepting two passes for 56 yards.<ref name="Pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WeatBo20.htm | title=Bones Weatherly | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref> The Bears finished the year with an 8–4 record.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/1954nflchib.html | title=1954 Chicago Bears (NFL) | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref> Weatherly became a free agent after the 1954 season.<ref name="transactions">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/w/weat00600.html | title=Gerry Weatherly NFL Transactions | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=28 December 2024}}</ref>
==Death== Weatherly died on December 28, 2004, in Cuero, Texas of "congestive heart failure secondary to cerebellar degeneration".<ref name="Obit"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Bears1949DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weatherly, Bones}} Category:1928 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Players of American football from Houston Category:American football linebackers Category:Rice Owls football players Category:Chicago Bears players Category:Sportspeople from Cuero, Texas Category:20th-century United States Army personnel Category:American football centers Category:Players of American football from DeWitt County, Texas Category:20th-century American sportsmen