Bill Hewitt (American football)

Bill Hewitt
No. 56
Position: End
Personal information
Date of birth: October 8, 1909
Place of birth: Bay City, Michigan
Date of death: January 14, 1947 (aged 37)
Place of death: Sellersville, Pennsylvania
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College: Michigan
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 103
Receiving yards: 1,638
Touchdowns: 24
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

William Ernest "Bill" Hewitt (October 8, 1909 – January 14, 1947) was a professional American football player in the National Football League. He played five seasons for the Chicago Bears (1932–1936), three for the Philadelphia Eagles (1937–1939), and one for the Phil-Pitt Steagles (1943). He is probably most remembered for his refusal to wear a helmet as the last NFL player not to wear one.[1] He attended the University of Michigan.

Professional career

Hewitt played for the Chicago Bears for five seasons from 1932−1936. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles with $4,000 in cash from the Bears in exchange for the rights to the first overall selection in the 1937 NFL Draft, Sam Francis, on February 15, 1937. Hewitt's game salary increased from $100 per game to $200 per game following the trade.[1] He played for the Eagles for three seasons from 1937−1939, and the Steagles for one season in 1943.

After football

After retiring from professional football in 1943, Hewitt worked for Supplee-Wills-Jones, a milk company, until September 1946. He died in a car crash on January 14, 1947.[2]

Hewitt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lyons, 2010, p. 70.
  2. ↑ "Bill Hewitt Fatally Injured in Car Crash". The Milwaukee Sentinel. January 15, 1947. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  3. ↑ "Lombardi Leads Six Into Hall". The Day. February 1, 1971. Retrieved 2015-03-30.

Sources

External links