Bill Bishop (American football)

William Eugene Bishop (May 8, 1931 – May 14, 1998) was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Bill Bishop
No. 73, 72
PositionsDefensive tackle, offensive tackle
Personal information
Born(1931-05-08)May 8, 1931
Borger, Texas, U.S.
DiedMay 14, 1998(1998-05-14) (aged 67)
Geneva, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
CollegeNorth Texas
NFL draft1952: 8th round, 90th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Games played117
Games started103
Fumble recoveries14
Stats at Pro Football Reference

A former United States Air Force member, he played college football for the North Texas State Eagles from 1949 to 1951. Much of his pro career was spent with the Chicago Bears; although he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1952 NFL draft, he was traded to Chicago shortly after.[1] He spent nine seasons with the Bears, remaining close with his teammates but frequently clashing with coach George Halas for salary reasons; in 1960, Bishop remarked, "Halas brainwashes you so much you don't want to play with anybody else; it's like playing for the New York Yankees."[2] Bishop later became team captain of the inaugural Minnesota Vikings in 1961.[1]

In the early 1970s, he coached the Winfield Giants Pop Warner team in Winfield, Illinois.

References

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  1. 1 2 Kuleta, Gene (May 20, 1998). "Former Bear Bill E. Bishop, 67". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 17, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  2. Ney, Al (February 10, 1960). "Bill Bishop Sees Papa Bear As More Sinner Than Saint". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved January 17, 2020 via Newspapers.com.