CANYON, Texas – Lynn isn’t the only place where the Pete Pedro legacy endures. The man they call “Pistol Pete” impacted West Texas A&M too.
The Buffs’ athletic director, Michael McBroom, has announced the creation of the “Pistol” Pete Memorial Scholarship that will honor the career of one o Lynn’s enduring legends.
Pedro, who graduated from the old Lynn Trade — before the school moved to Neptune Blvd. and became Lynn Vocational Technical Institute — attended Trinidad State College in Colorado before transferring to what was then West Texa State. There, he played football for the Buffs from 1961-1963 as he holds school-records for scoring 36 points and six touchdowns in one game.
Pedrp was the second leading rusher in the nation as a sophomore for the Buffs. He was named a 1962 Newspaper Enterprise Association All-America selection.
Pedro helped lead West Texas State to a Sun Bowl win over Ohio in 1962, 15-14, for one of the Buffs’ six bowl wins in program history. He led the team in rushing with 976 yards in 1961, while gaining 831 in 1962.
After graduation, he signed with the Boston Patriots and spent one year on their taxi squad. Following his football career, he worked as a teacher and a coach in Lynn for more than 30 years.
An inductee into the inaugural Lynn Tech Hall of Fame, Pedro was inducted into the West Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Champions in 1988 — also in the inaugural class. Pedro was named one of the “Top 100 Sports Legends” for the State of Texas in 2000.
“He was an incredible player, man, husband, father and friend so WT will honor his memory and celebrating his life through this scholarship, which will be able to benefit the historic football program Pedro helped to create and lead,” McBroom said.
Pedro died at his home on April 22, 2018, at the age of 77.
“When I first heard about the desire of this group to establish a scholarship to honor Pistol Pete, I was thrilled as this is a lasting way to honor a man who was near and dear to so many and a man who brought national recognition to WT during his playing days,” McBroom said.
The endowed scholarship will provide financial assistance to one member of the WT football team each year, maintain a 2.5 minimum cumulative grade point average and be selected by the coaching staff. Initial contributions necessary to start the campaign have been made by Wayne Fox, David Sims, Corky Dawson, John David Bryant, and Jerry Don Logan.
Online gifts can be made at gobuffsgo.com. Hover over the “Giving” tab and select “Pistol Pete Scholarship”. Then click on make a gift online and, after filling out your contact information, click “Give to an Existing Endowment” and then select Pistol Pete Memorial Scholarship from the endowment list. Checks can be mailed to: WT Athletics, Attn: Pistol Pete Memorial Scholarship, WTAMU Box 60049, Canyon, Texas, 79016
