W. Paul Terhes (1980) - Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame

W. Paul Terhes

Induction:
1980
Class:
1961

Sport: Football
Paul Terhes, who led Bucknell to a 7-2 record and the Lambert Cup in 1960, is considered by many observers to be the finest quarterback in Bucknell history. His 258 pass completions from 1958-60 was a school record at the time, and he also graduated with the school record for TD passes with 18. He completed 488 career passes for 2,710 yards, and as a sophomore he also started at safety. Terhes was named at QB on the All-Middle Atlantic Conference team for three consecutive years, was MVP in the MAC in 1959 and 1960, and as a senior was selected to the AP Little All-America first team and the AP and UPI All-East first teams. He also received honorable mention on the UPI All-America Team and was MVP in the All-American Bowl Game. Winner of the Christy Mathewson Award as the top senior athlete in his class, Terhes never missed a minute of a varsity football game due to injury or illness. Rutgers coach John Bateman called him, "the finest college quarterback I have ever seen," and his coach at Bucknell, Bob Odell, said Terhes was, "the best defensive safety I have ever coached." He threw an 84-yard TD pass to Jack Eachus against Lehigh in 1958, and he was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 1961 NFL Draft.
(Bucknell Hall of Fame Class of 1980)