# Bones Weatherly > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bones_Weatherly > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bones_Weatherly.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bones_Weatherly > Source revision: 1350314702 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Linebacker) | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|12|26}} | birth_place = [Houston, Texas](/source/Houston%2C_Texas), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|12|28|1928|12|26}} | death_place = [Cuero, Texas](/source/Cuero%2C_Texas), U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 218 | high_school = [Cuero](/source/Cuero_High_School) (Texas) | college = [Rice](/source/Rice_Owls_football) (1945, 1947–1949) | draftyear = 1949 | draftround = 8 | draftpick = 72 | pastteams = * [Chicago Bears](/source/Chicago_Bears) ({{NFL Year|1950}}, {{NFL Year|1952|1954}}) | highlights = * Second-team All-[SWC](/source/Southwest_Conference) ([1949](/source/1949_All-Southwest_Conference_football_team)) | statlabel1 = [Interception](/source/Interception)s | statvalue1 = 8 | statlabel2 = [Fumble](/source/Fumble) recoveries | statvalue2 = 5 | statlabel3 = Total [touchdown](/source/touchdown)s | statvalue3 = 3 | pfr = W/WeatBo20 }} '''Gerald Craft''' "'''Bones'''" '''Weatherly''' (December 26, 1928 – December 28, 2004) was an American professional [football](/source/American_football) [linebacker](/source/linebacker) who played four seasons with the [Chicago Bears](/source/Chicago_Bears) of the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL). He was selected by the Bears in the eighth round of the [1949 NFL draft](/source/1949_NFL_draft) after playing [college football](/source/college_football) at [Rice Institute](/source/Rice_University). ==Early life== Gerald Craft Weatherly was born on December 26, 1928, in [Houston, Texas](/source/Houston%2C_Texas).{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/players/w/weat00600.html | title=GERRY WEATHERLY | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=28 December 2024}} He attended [Cuero High School](/source/Cuero_High_School) in [Cuero, Texas](/source/Cuero%2C_Texas). ==College career== Weatherly was a [lettermen](/source/letterman_(sports)) for the [Rice Owls](/source/Rice_Owls_football) of [Rice Institute](/source/Rice_University) in 1945, 1947, 1948, and 1949. He was named second-team All-[Southwest Conference](/source/Southwest_Conference) by both the [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) and [United Press](/source/United_Press) as a [center](/source/Center_(American_football)) in 1949.{{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/}}{{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](/source/Newspapers.com)}} He was inducted into Rice's athletics hall of fame in 1974.{{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}} ==Professional career== Weatherly was selected by the [Chicago Bears](/source/Chicago_Bears) in the eighth round, with the 72nd overall pick, of the [1949 NFL draft](/source/1949_NFL_draft). He signed with the Bears on June 9, 1950. 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. His two interception return touchdowns tied him for the league lead that year with [Warren Lahr](/source/Warren_Lahr).{{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}} Weatherly became a free agent after the 1950 season and missed the entire 1951 season due to being drafted into the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army).{{cite news | url=https://obits.dallasnews.com/us/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/name/gerald-weatherly-obituary?id=27623021 | title=Gerald Craft Weatherly | work=[Dallas Morning News](/source/Dallas_Morning_News) | date=January 2005 | accessdate=28 December 2024}} He played football at [Fort Sam Houston](/source/Fort_Sam_Houston) while in the Army. He re-signed with the Bears on November 12, 1952. Weatherly appeared in five games, starting two, in 1952, recording three interceptions and one fumble recovery. He played in all 12 games, starting four, in 1953, totaling one interception and three fumble recoveries. He played in all 12 games for the second consecutive season, starting 11, in 1954, intercepting two passes for 56 yards.{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WeatBo20.htm | title=Bones Weatherly | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=28 December 2024}} The Bears finished the year with an 8–4 record.{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/1954nflchib.html | title=1954 Chicago Bears (NFL) | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=28 December 2024}} Weatherly became a free agent after the 1954 season.{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/w/weat00600.html | title=Gerry Weatherly NFL Transactions | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=28 December 2024}} ==Death== Weatherly died on December 28, 2004, in Cuero, Texas of "[congestive heart failure](/source/congestive_heart_failure) secondary to [cerebellar degeneration](/source/cerebellar_degeneration)". ==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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bones Weatherly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bones_Weatherly) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bones_Weatherly?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.