Bill Dudley
| Bill Dudley | |
|---|---|
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Positions: HB / DB / P / PK |
Jersey number (s): 35 |
| born December 24, 1921 in Bluefield , Virginia | |
| died on February 4, 2010 in Lynchburg , Virginia | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1942 - 1953 | |
| NFL Draft : 1942 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st | |
| College : Virginia | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Gaining space through running | 3,057 yards |
| Gaining space by catching passports | 1,383 yards |
| Interceptions | 23 |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
William McGarvey "Bill" Dudley (born December 24, 1921 in Bluefield , Tazewell County , Virginia , † February 4, 2010 in Lynchburg , Virginia), nicknamed Bullet Bill , was an American football player in the National Football League (NFL) .
Player career
College career
Dudley attended high school in his hometown and received a scholarship to the University of Virginia upon graduation . Although he was considered unsuitable due to his body size, his coach gave him the chance to play American football as a running back . In the course of his studies, Dudley was able to grow physically. In 1940 he was given more time as a starter on his college team . In 1941 he was able to achieve the national record with 18 touchdowns . In the same year he won the Maxwell Award .
Professional player
Bill Dudley was in 1942 in the first round in the first place by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL drafted . The Steelers coach was Walt Kiesling . Already in his rookie year he achieved 162 runs, a space gain of 696 yards, an annual record in the NFL. In the years 1943 to 1945 he had to interrupt his career. He did his military service with the United States Army Air Forces , which at that time was not an independent branch of service. Dudley attended an aviation school, but played at the same time for the US Army American football. Dudley flew two missions over the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii . After completing his military service, Dudley played two more years for the Steelers. In 1946 he again set the NFL record for gained space with running play. After his season in Pittsburgh , he played for the Detroit Lions for three years before joining the Washington Redskins in 1950 . After a break in his career in 1952, he returned to the Redskins coached by Curly Lambeau in 1953 and retired after that season.
Honors
Bill Dudley played twice in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He has been voted All Pro six times . In 1946 he was voted Most Valuable Player in the NFL . He is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team , the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 1966, and the College Football Hall of Fame since 1956 , and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame .
According to the NFL
Dudley worked after his career as a scout for the Steelers and the Detroit Lions. Then he worked as an insurance agent. Bill Dudley also encouraged young athletes by awarding scholarships. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for four terms from 1966 to 1975 , where he initially belonged to the Democrats , but later switched to the Republicans and missed re-election as their candidate for parliament.
Bill Dudley last lived in Lynchburg, where he died in early February 2010 at the age of 88. He found his final resting place there in Spring Hill Cemetery .
Web links
- Bill Dudley's Foundation ( June 9, 2012 memento on the Internet Archive )
- Bill Dudley Foundation ( August 13, 2013 memento on the Internet Archive )
- Homepage of Bill Dudley
- Bill Dudley at the Pittsburgh Steelers (PDF; 856 kB)
- Bill Dudley with the Washington Redskins
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bill Dudley in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame ( Memento of the original from November 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Bill Dudley obituary in the Find a Grave database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dudley, Bill |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dudley, William McGarvey |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 24, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bluefield , Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 4, 2010 |
| Place of death | Lynchburg , Virginia |