FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Francis "Bucko" Kilroy, a former New England Patriots executive who was known throughout the league as a top talent scout, died Tuesday, the team announced. He was 86.
Kilroy was a six-time All-Pro guard for the Philadelphia Eagles during a 13-season playing career in the 1940s and 50s.
During a 64-season NFL career, including 36 years with the Patriots, Kilroy also worked in player personnel and scouting for the Eagles, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, and mentored others who went on to lead NFL scouting departments.
He was one of the founders of the National Football Scouting Combine, and had been a scouting consultant for the Patriots the past 13 years.
Kilroy, a Philadelphia native, joined the team as personnel director in 1971, and selected two of New England's Hall of Famers, John Hannah in 1973 and Mike Haynes in 1976. From 1976-78, Patriots teams he built compiled a 31-13 record including two playoff appearances. He was New England's general manager from 1979-1982, and vice president from 1983-1993.
