Bill Willis

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Willis was one of the first two African Americans to play professional football in the modern era, signing with the Browns and playing a game in September 1946 along with Marion Motley, a contest which took place months before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Born in Georgia but raised in Columbus, Ohio, Willis attended Ohio State University, where he joined the track and football teams. He was part of a Buckeyes football team that won the school's first national championship in 1942. After graduating in 1944, Willis heard about a new AAFC club in Cleveland led by his old Ohio State coach, Paul Brown. He got a tryout and made the team. With Willis as a defensive anchor, the Browns won all four AAFC championships between 1946 and 1949, when the league dissolved. The Browns were then absorbed by the NFL, where Willis continued to succeed. Cleveland won the NFL championship in 1950. Willis retired after the 1953 season to focus on helping troubled youth, first as Cleveland's assistant recreation commissioner and later as the chairman of the Ohio Youth Commission. He remained in that position until his death in 2007. Willis was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1970s.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Willis's NFL career came during the 1950 playoff game against the New York Giants. In the fourth quarter, running back Gene "Choo-Choo" Roberts broke away for a potential touchdown reception. Willis chased him down to prevent the score, securing a victory that sent Cleveland to their first NFL championship. "I knew it meant the ball game," Willis said of the play. "I just had to catch him." The Browns defeated the Giants 8–3 and claimed the title. This success followed four consecutive AAFC championships from 1946 to 1949, where Willis was named an All-Pro every season. Although Cleveland lost the championship games in 1951 and 1952 to the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions respectively, Willis maintained his elite status as an All-Pro selection both years. He reached the Pro Bowl in three of the four seasons he played in the NFL, missing it only in 1953 when Cleveland lost a third straight title game. Coach Paul Brown called him "one of the outstanding linemen in the history of professional football" upon his retirement.

Reader's Guide

Willis played middle guard for the Browns, lining up opposite the center but often dropping back into coverage to defend the pass. He had a playing style and physique similar to that of the modern-day linebacker. He was named to all-AAFC teams in every year of its existence. In the NFL, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in three of the four seasons he played in the league.

Did You Know?

• Willis was one of the first two African Americans to play professional football in the modern era, along with Marion Motley, in September 1946.
• Willis was named an All-Pro in every season of his career.
• Willis won four AAFC championships and one NFL championship with the Cleveland Browns.
• Willis was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1970s.