| No. 86, 82 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1945-04-06)April 6, 1945 Florence, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died: | February 5, 2017(2017-02-05) (aged 71) Gadsden, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight: | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Gadsden (AL) |
| College: | Wyoming |
| NFL draft: | 1967: 1st round, 14th pick |
| Career history | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Ronald Smith Billingsley (April 6, 1945 – February 5, 2017) was anAmerican football player, adefensive tackle in theAmerican Football League (AFL) andNational Football League (NFL).[1]
Born inFlorence, Alabama, Billingsley was a multi-sport athlete atGadsden High School inGadsden and graduated in 1963. He attended theUniversity of Wyoming inLaramie, where he playedcollege football for theCowboys under head coachLloyd Eaton. Billngsley received notice from AFL scouts during his senior season in1966, when the Cowboys went 10–1, won theWAC championship, and defeatedFlorida State28–20 in theSun Bowl. He was selected to the All-WAC team as a senior.
TheSan Diego Chargers of the AFL selected Billingsley as the 14th pick of the1967 NFL/AFL Draft, the first year that the two leagues held acommon draft after their merger agreement. He played for the Chargers for four seasons as a defensive starter. After the1970 season, he was traded to theHouston Oilers. After another complete season as a starter at Houston, Billingsley experienced problems with an injury and only played in four games during the1972 season. After 1972, he andKent Nix were traded to theNew Orleans Saints forDave Parks,Tom Stincic, andEdd Hargett.[2] However, because of the continued problems with his injury, he never played a game with the Saints and retired in 1973. During his NFL career, the 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Billingsley was known for being one of the tallest players in the league.
On June 15, 2007, Billingsley rescued two fellow residents of his apartment complex inGlencoe, Alabama after one of the units caught fire.[3]
Billingsley died at age 71 in Gadsden in 2017 and was buried at its Crestwood Cemetery.