| Date of birth: | May 28, 1921 |
| Place of birth: | Atlanta, Georgia, US |
| Date of death: | May 25, 2003 (aged 81) |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Running back |
| College: | Georgia Tech |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1943-1947 1947-1948 |
New York Giants Boston Yanks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards: | 1x All-Pro selection (1944) |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
William Avner Paschal, Jr. (May 28, 1921 – May 25, 2003) was an American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Boston Yanks.
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Paschal was born in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Tech High School, where he played football and track.[1] He then played briefly at Georgia Tech before injuring his knee. After the injury, he left school and went to work as a railroad switchman in Georgia.[1]
After his knee healed, Paschal got a tryout with the New York Giants on the recommendation of the sportswriter Grantland Rice and eventually signed with New York in 1943 for $1,500.[1] He became the first player to win consecutive rushing championships in the NFL, gaining 572 yards on 147 carries in his rookie year and 737 yards on 196 rushes in his second year. He also led the league in rushing touchdowns both years, with ten in 1943 and nine in 1944.[1] It must be noted, however, that talent was weak in the NFL at the time due to many players leaving the league to fight in the Second World War.
Paschal was then traded to the Boston Yanks during the 1947 season and played through 1948, before retiring. He gained 2,430 yards with 28 rushing touchdowns for his career.[1]
Paschal had a wife, Carolyn, and four daughters and a son.[1]