Notable people · Sports
Bill Willis
Raised in Columbus, Willis played at Ohio State (1942-44) and for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1953. He was one of the first two Black players in modern pro football, a year before Jackie Robinson in baseball.
At a glance
- Born
- 1921-10-05
- Died
- 2007-11-27
- Education
- Columbus East High School, Columbus, OH
- Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 1941-1945, graduated 1945
- Known as
- Sports
- Organizations
- Cleveland Browns, Ohio State University
Life story
Bill Willis was born October 5, 1921, in Georgia and moved to Columbus, Ohio, around 1922. His father died in 1923, and he was raised by his mother and grandfather through the Depression.
At Columbus East High School he ran track and played football. He enrolled at Ohio State in 1941 and played for the Buckeyes in 1942-44, on the school's first national championship team in 1942, and was an All-American in 1944. After graduating in 1945 he coached at Kentucky State.
In September 1946 he signed with the Cleveland Browns and played his first pro games months before Jackie Robinson's debut, breaking pro football's color barrier with Marion Motley. The Browns won the 1950 NFL title. After football he worked in recreation and youth services in Columbus and Cleveland. He entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Pro Football Hall in 1977.
Timeline
- 1921-10-05: Born (Georgia) source
- 1922: Moves to Columbus (Columbus, OH) source
- 1941: Enrolls at Ohio State (Columbus, OH) source
- 1942: Joins OSU team that wins school's first national title (Columbus, OH) source
- 1944: Named All-American (Columbus, OH) source
- 1945: Graduates; coaches Kentucky State (Frankfort, KY) source
- 1946-09: Signs with Browns; debut breaks color barrier (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1950: Wins NFL championship (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1954: Retires (page date) (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1971: College Football Hall of Fame (US) source
- 1977: Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH) source
- 2007: Ohio State retires #99 (Columbus, OH) source
What Bill is known for
- Broke pro football's color barrier in 1946 with the Browns, alongside Marion Motley
- Seven first-team All-League selections; played in three Pro Bowls
- College Football Hall of Fame 1971; Pro Football Hall of Fame 1977
Honors and things named for them
- College Football Hall of Fame, 1971
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1977
- Ohio State retired #99, 2007
- Ohio State #0 Block O jersey honor, 2020
- Browns Ring of Honor
Family
- wife: Odessa Porter (d. 2002)
- son: William Jr.
- son: Clement
- son: Dan
Ohio places
Where Bill Willis was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- School: Columbus (East High School), Franklin County ZIP 43203 · Columbus · Franklin County
- School: Columbus (Ohio State University), Franklin County ZIP 43210 · Columbus · Franklin County
- Worked: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44114 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: Wikipedia says he was born in Georgia and raised in Columbus, while other accounts say he was born in Columbus.
- Disputed: Wikipedia dates the end of his playing career to 1954, while the Hall of Fame source gives his Browns years as 1946 to 1953.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Bill Willis (Wikipedia) born Georgia, raised Columbus, died Columbus, Ohio State, Browns, HOF
- Bill Willis (Pro Football Hall of Fame) 1977 induction, Ohio State, Browns 1946-53, color barrier 1946
