He attended Magnolia High School, where he played six-man football[citation needed], while being a three-time All-District end and linebacker.

He was selected to the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Team, and played in the North-South football game.

[6][1] He contributed to Rice winning the 1957 conference championship,[7] defying preseason predictions,[5] and playing in the Cotton Bowl Classic (losing to Navy).

[9] The 1957 Rice team was led by two future NFL quarterbacks passing to Dial, Frank Ryan and King Hill.

He also posted 13 career receiving touchdowns, tying the school record set by James "Froggie" Williams.

[14] On September 24, 1959, Dial was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Steelers, teaming him with quarterback Bobby Layne.

After scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys, a loud cannon charge was set off in front of him (a Steelers tradition) as he ran into the endzone; this was memorialized by NFL Films as one of the league's greatest follies.

[18] Appleton ended up signing with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League, who had also drafted him in the first round.

[19] The persistence both teams showed in their attempts to sign Appleton became known as the "Buddy Dial for Nothing" trade.

[22] In 1964, Dial started in one game, after being limited with a thigh injury he suffered in training camp that required surgery.

Dial moved to the Houston area after retiring from the NFL, living in Tomball, Texas.

[11] Injuries during his NFL career led to significant health problems brought on by the abuse of painkilling drugs (eventually losing a kidney), before receiving treatment in the late 1980s.