| No. 16 (CGY) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Defensive back •quarterback •punter | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born | (1942-11-21)November 21, 1942 (age 83) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College | Tulsa | ||
| NFL draft | 1964: 15th round, 200th overall pick | ||
| AFL draft | 1964: 24th round, 192nd overall pick | ||
| Career history | |||
| 1965 | Dallas Cowboys* | ||
| 1966 | Toronto Argonauts | ||
| 1967 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | ||
| 1968–1970 | Ottawa Rough Riders | ||
| 1971 | Calgary Stampeders | ||
| 1972 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | ||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
| Awards and highlights | |||
| Career CFL statistics | |||
| |||
William Ben Van Burkleo (born November 21, 1942) is an American former professionalfootballdefensive back in theCanadian Football League (CFL) for theToronto Argonauts,Winnipeg Blue Bombers,Ottawa Rough Riders,Calgary Stampeders andHamilton Tiger-Cats. He playedcollege football at theUniversity of Tulsa.
Van Burkleo attendedWill Rogers High School, where he practiced football,basketball andtrack. He was named the Tulsa World Oklahoma High School Football Player of the Year as a junior in 1959.
He accepted a football scholarship from theUniversity of Oklahoma, but transferred after his sophomore season to theUniversity of Tulsa. As a junior, he was aquarterback-halfback, posting 511 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 123 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 135 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
As a senior, he was moved towide receiver, registering 7 receptions for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also was a part of the1964 Bluebonnet Bowl Championship team.
In 1975, he was named by the Jim Thorpe Award Committee to the All-Time Greats of Oklahoma for the Decade of the 1950s. In 2018, he was inducted into the Tulsa Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame.
Van Burkleo was selected by theDallas Cowboys in the 15th round (200th overall) of the1964 NFL draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over. He was also selected by theSan Diego Chargers in the 24th round (192nd overall) of the1964 AFL draft.
In1965, he signed with theDallas Cowboys. He was converted into adefensive back duringtraining camp and was waived on August 31.
In 1966, he signed with theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League. Although he was adefensive back, he was also used as a punter and backupquarterback during his professional career.[1]
In 1967, he saw his most extensive time atquarterback with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers, when he started in place of an injuredKen Ploen. On March 13, 1968, he was traded along withlinebacker Al Miller to theOttawa Rough Riders in exchange fordefensive backDon Gilbert,linebackerJim Conroy andoffensive tackle Chuck Harrison.
On July 22, 1971, he was traded to theCalgary Stampeders in exchange forpunterMarcel Deleeuw. On September 25, he suffered a separated shoulder and missed the remainder of the season, including the59th Grey Cup 14–11 win against theToronto Argonauts. On August 22, 1972, he signed with theHamilton Tiger-Cats.
Van Burkleo was a part of theGrey Cup winning teams in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1972.[2] He finished his career with 19 defensive interceptions, 1,540 passing yards, 8 passingtouchdowns, 22 thrown interceptions, 351 rushing yards and 2 rushingtouchdowns.
After a career in football, he was a part owner and general manager of an advertising agency that published all of the CFL football programs, the magazine "Sports Canada," while producing film and video for the Canada television.
In 1973, he returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to work in the Tulsa Cable Television as the director of sports and special events.
Van Burkleo went to Medical school at Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery and graduated in 1981. He practiced medicine inCorpus Christi, Texas.