Buford M. Green, Legendary West Central Illinois Sports Journalist, Dies at 84

Buford M. Green, whose byline appeared more than 20,000 times across a career spanning five decades in West Central Illinois, died March 9 at The Grove Health and Rehab in Jacksonville. He was 84.

Green was a fixture in local sports journalism whose reach extended well beyond Morgan County. As sports editor, he covered the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500, and heavyweight championship fights featuring Ken Norton, the legendary boxer and Jacksonville native. He wrote with equal care about local luminaries including Bill Merris, Joe Brooks, and Charlie Bellatti.

For generations of Jacksonville listeners, Saturday mornings meant tuning in to "Sportsline" on AM1180 WLDS, where Green served as co-host for 56 years. That Saturday morning ritual connected sports fans across the region to a voice they trusted, week after week, for more than half a century.

His contributions to local sports extended beyond reporting. Green helped found both the Illinois College Sports Hall of Fame and the Jacksonville High School Sports Hall of Fame, and served for many years as president of the Jacksonville Area Hall of Fame. In 2012, the Illinois College Sports Hall of Fame inducted him as a member, recognizing a career that had helped build the very institution honoring him.

Green is survived by his son Chris Green of Arlington, Virginia; his daughter Brenda Cunningham of Springfield, Illinois; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sister Wanda White of Clinton, Washington.

A memorial service is scheduled at Williamson Funeral Home in Jacksonville. Those wishing to honor Green's memory may direct contributions to the Jacksonville High School Sports Hall of Fame or the Illinois College Sports Hall of Fame, two institutions he helped bring into existence.