 George while at Wake Forest | |||||||||||||
| No. 72, 61 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Linebacker Guard Defensive tackle | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1929-10-27)October 27, 1929 Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | September 30, 1982(1982-09-30) (aged 52) Rockford, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 237 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Waynesburg Central (Waynesburg, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||||
| College | Wake Forest (1947–1950) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1951: 2nd round, 23rd overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Wrestling | ||
| Representing theWake Forest Demon Deacons | ||
| SoCon Championships | ||
 | 1948 Lexington | Heavyweight |
| 1949 Lexington | Heavyweight |
| 1952 Lexington | Heavyweight |
William J. George (October 27, 1929 – September 30, 1982) was an American professionalfootballlinebacker who played for theChicago Bears and theLos Angeles Rams of theNational Football League (NFL).
George was born inWaynesburg, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles south ofPittsburgh. He is among numerous legendary football players born in football-rich Western Pennsylvania. He playedcollege football for theWake Forest Demon Deacons and was the Bears second-round draft pick in 1951.
During his time playing atWake Forest, George became the first All-American football player in team history and was a three-time selection to theAll-Southern Conference Team. George was also a standout wrestler in high school and although Wake Forest did not field awrestling team, he entered the Southern Conference wrestling tournament as an individual competitor without a team and won on three occasions at heavyweight. He was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.[1]
He began his pro football career in 1952 as amiddle guard in the then-standardfive-man defensive front. He was selected to play in eight consecutivePro Bowls, from 1954 to 1961.George is credited as the first true middle linebacker in football history and, inadvertently, the creator of the4–3 defense.[2] Noting during a 1954 game with thePhiladelphia Eagles that his tendency to hit the center right after the snap led to thequarterback passing right over his head, he began to drop back from the line, not only enabling him to intercept and otherwise disrupt several passes from that game forward but also creating the familiar 4–3 setup (four linemen and three linebackers).
Hall of FamerArt Donovan had this to say about Bill George: "It's real hard to make the call, but the best linebacker I've ever seen play may have been the Bears' George. He was wild; he'd psyche himself up into a frenzy when he played. Then you'd meet him off the field and he was a completely different guy, another Clark Kent. And he'd line up anywhere on the field.... Quarterbacks would be going out of their mind looking to find out where the hell Bill George was."[3]
In addition to his 18 career interceptions, George also recovered 19 fumbles, and in 1954 scored 25 points on 13 PATs and four field goals. In 1963, he led the Bears defense when they won theNFL Championship.[4]
George was elected to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1974. The Bears retired his uniform number 61. Three of his successors as Chicago middle linebackers are also in the Hall of Fame:Dick Butkus (1965–1973),Mike Singletary (1981–1992) andBrian Urlacher (2000–2012).
In a 1989 article, in which he named his choices for the best athletes ever to wear each uniform number from 0 to 99,Sports Illustrated columnistRick Reilly not only chose George for number 61, but called him "the meanest Bear ever", no small thing considering the franchise's long history and reputation for toughness. In 1999, he was ranked number 49 onThe Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
George was killed in an automobile accident inRockford, Illinois on September 30, 1982.[5] He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery inBarrington, Illinois.
