Bill Osmanski
| Bill Osmanski | |
|---|---|
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Position (s): Fullback |
Jersey number (s): 9 |
| born December 29, 1915 in Providence , Rhode Island | |
| died on December 25, 1996 in Chicago , Illinois | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1939 - 1947 | |
| NFL Draft : 1939 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | |
| College : College of the Holy Cross | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Games | 46 |
| Gaining space through running | 1,753 yards |
| Touchdowns | 21st |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| College Football Hall of Fame | |
William Thomas "Bill" Osmanski (born December 29, 1915 in Providence , Rhode Island , † December 25, 1996 in Chicago , Illinois ; nickname : Bullet Bill ) was an American American football player and coach. He played fullback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears .
Player career
College career
Bill Osmanski attended high school in his hometown . He studied after graduating from school from 1936 to 1938 at the College of the Holy Cross , for whose football team he played as a fullback. Osmanski was voted All American in 1938 . In 1939, he was named Most Valuable Player after the College All-Star Game . During his student days, his team won 23 of 29 games. Due to his athletic achievements, the shirt number 25 is no longer awarded in his honor at his college . Osmanski was also a good athlete . Because of his speed as a sprinter, he was given his nickname: Bullet Bill .
Professional career
Bill Osmanski was selected in 1939 by the Chicago Bears trained by George Halas in the first round in sixth place in the NFL Draft . Numerous all-star players such as offensive line players Joe Stydahar and Dan Fortmann were already under contract with the Bears . In the same year as Osmanski, the Bears signed their later quarterback Sid Luckman , a year later the engagement of end Ken Kavanaugh , halfback George McAfee and center Bulldog Turner . Halas developed the T-formation of his offense with these players . The Bears became the premier football team of the 1940s. In his rookie year Osmanski was able to achieve the NFL annual record of 699 yards of space gained by running play .
Bill Osmanski won his first title in his second year as a professional. In the 1940 NFL championship game , the Washington Redskins were beaten 73-0. Osmanski was able to score a touchdown and intercept a pass from the opposing quarterback . In 1941 the Bears were able to defend their title. They defeated the New York Giants 37-9.
Due to injuries, Osmanski was given little service time in 1942 and 1943. In 1944 and 1945 he served in the US Navy and was used in the Battle of Guadalcanal , the Battle of Guam and the Battle of Okinawa , among others . Immediately after World War II , he played for the Ishaya Tigers , a Navy football team.
In 1946, Bill Osmanski and George Halas, who had been drafted into the military in 1942, returned to the Bears. His brother Joe Osmanski was signed by the Bears in the same year and the brothers were able to win the NFL title with the team that year. In the 1946 NFL final, the Giants had to admit defeat 24:14. After the 1947 season, Osmanski ended his playing career.
Coaching career
Immediately after his professional career, Osmanski coached his old college football team in 1948 and 1949 . His team could only win six out of 20 games.
Honors
Bill Osmanski played in the Pro Bowl three times and was voted All Pro three times . Osmanski is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team and has been a member of the College Football Hall of Fame since 1973 .
After the football career
Bill Osmanski studied dentistry at Northwestern University while with the Bears . After his brief coaching career, he opened his own practice in Chicago . As a dentist, he developed mouthguards for football players. "Bullet Bill" Osmanski died shortly before his 81st birthday in Chicago. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Fond du Lac , Wisconsin .
Web links
- Bill Osmanski at college
- Biography of Bill Osmanski (PDF; 25 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1940
- ↑ NFL endgame statistics 1940
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1941
- ^ NFL endgame statistics 1941
- ↑ Bill Osmanski with the Ishaya Tigers
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1946
- ^ NFL endgame statistics 1946
- ↑ Bill Osmanski's grave in the Find a Grave database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Osmanski, Bill |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Osmanski, William Thomas (full name); Bullet Bill (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and coach, dentist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 29, 1915 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Providence , Rhode Island , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 25, 1996 |
| Place of death | Chicago , Illinois |