North Central Washington

Sports Awards

Bob Picard
FOOTBALL & BASKETBALL
Bob was a two-time NAIA All-American in football for Eastern, and went on to play four years in the National Football League. Originally from Omak, Washington, Picard lettered in football for Eastern in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1972, and also lettered in basketball in 1973. He set Eastern's career receiving record with 166, ranking fourth with 2,373 yards (14.3 per catch) and sixth in touchdown receptions with 19. As a senior in 1972 he earned first team NAIA All-America honors when he caught 52 passes for 679 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior he earned second team All-America honors with 53 catches for 787 yards and eight scores. He also had 531 yards as a freshman in 1968 -- the first of three seasons he led the Evergreen Conference in receiving yards. He holds Eastern's single game record with 13 catches against Puget Sound on Nov. 16, 1968 in six inches of snow. Eastern was 15-24 in his four years on the team, including a 5-5 record his junior season.

In basketball, he played in 22 games in the 1972-73 season and averaged 2.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while making 35 percent of his field goal attempts (23-of-66) and 69 percent of his free throws (16-of-23). He also played five games in the 1970-71 season, averaging 4.0 points and 4.2 rebounds. In his 27-game career he averaged 3.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists (42 total), while making 37 percent of his field goals (32-of-83) and 61 percent of his free throws (20-of-33). Eastern was 17-11 his first year on the squad, and 15-10 in the 1971-73 season.

He was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft by Philadelphia, and played three full seasons (1973-74-75) for the Eagles. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1976 expansion draft and attended training camp in Eastern's hometown of Cheney, but he didn't make the squad. However, in a pre-season game on Aug. 23, 1976, he caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn. He returned to Philadelphia that year and played four games for the Eagles, then went to Detroit where he closed his career by playing the final eight games of the season. Although he didn't catch a regular season pass in the NFL, he played in 54 career games as a special team standout. Wrote one Philadelphia sportswriter: "Of all the Philadelphia Eagles, the easiest one to find in the lockerroom is Bobby Picard. He's the one covered with all the blood. Number 82 in your program, but No. 1 in the kamikaze ranks. The guy who looks like a walking transfusion."