American football player and coach (born 1921)

Bill Willis

William Karnet Willis was an American professional football middle guard and guard who played for eight seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL). Known for his quickness and strength despite his small stature, Willis was one of the dominant defensive football players of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was named an All-Pro in every season of his career and reached the NFL's Pro Bowl in three of the four seasons he played in the league. His techniques and style of play were emulated by other teams, and his versatility as a pass-rusher and coverage man influenced the development of the modern-day linebacker position.

Born

1921

October 5

Died

2007

Era

1920s

Country

—

About

Bill, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1921 Born
2007 Died

Also on October 5

What else happened on this day, through history

610 Heraclius arrives at Constantinople, kills Byzantine Emperor Phocas, and becomes emperor.
816 King Louis the Pious is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope.
869 The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to depose patriarch Photios I.
1143 With the signing of the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognises Portugal as a Kingdom.

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The world in 1921

When Bill arrived

april 11 Emir Abdullah establishes the first centralised government in the newly created British protectorate of Transjordan.
april 2 The Autonomous Government of Khorasan, a military government encompassing the modern state of Iran, is established.
august 14 Tannu Uriankhai, later Tuvan People's Republic is established as a completely independent country (which is supported by Soviet Russia).
august 23 British airship R-38 experiences structural failure over Hull in England and crashes in the Humber Estuary; of her 49 British and American training crew, only four survive.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on October 5

Avraham Adan 1926–2012 Israeli general (died 2012) Barry Switzer 1937– American football player and coach Brian O'Nolan 1911–1966 Irish author (born 1911) Chevalier d'Eon 1728–1810 French diplomat and spy (born 1728) Glynis Johns 1923–2024 British actress and singer (born 1923) Kenneth D. Taylor 1934– Canadian businessman and diplomat (died 2015) Louis II of Anjou (died 1417) 1377– Michael Andretti 1962– American race car driver Neil Peart 1958–2020 Canadian drummer, songwriter, and producer (born 1952)

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1921

Ágnes Keleti 1921–2025 Hungarian Olympic gymnast (born 1921) Alexander Dubček 1921–1992 Slovak soldier and politician (died 1992) Art Clokey 1921–2010 American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921) Brian Moore 1921–1999 Northern Irish-Canadian author and screenwriter (died 1999) Esther Williams 1921–2013 American swimmer and actress (died 2013) Ezzard Charles 1921–1975 American boxer (died 1975) Franciszek Blachnicki 1921–1987 Polish priest (born 1921) Franco Corelli 1921–2003 Italian tenor and actor (died 2003) George S. Hammond 1921– American scientist (died 2005)

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Bill's birthday October 5 Bill's zodiac Libra When Bill arrived 1921