- Bill Osmanski
NFL player
DateOfBirth=birth date|1915|12|29|mf=y
Birthplace=Providence, RI
DateOfDeath=December 25 ,1996
College=Holy Cross
Position=Halfback
DraftedYear=1939
DraftedRound=1/ Pick 6
Honors=NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
years=1939-1947
teams=Chicago Bears
DatabaseFootball=OSMANBIL01
CollegeHOF=30037Dr. Bill "Bullet Bill" Osmanski (
December 29 ,1915 in Providence, RI -December 25 ,1996 in Chicago, IL) was a college and professional football player, playing fullback, and a licensedDentist . He was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1973.College of the Holy Cross
After graduating from Central High School in Providence, Osmanski attended the
College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. He played fullback for the Crusaders from 1936-1938. These three seasons were some of the most successful in Holy Cross' football history with the record of 23-3-3. "Bullet Bill" was namedAll-America in 1938. He was named the Most Valuable Player at the College All-Star Game in 1939. His jersey number, 25, was retired by Holy Cross.Chicago Bears
Osmanski was drafted in the 1st round (6th pick overall) of the
1939 NFL Draft by theChicago Bears . The pick paid immediate dividends for the Bears as Osmanski led theNFL in rushing in 1939 with 699 yards. The Bears also selected Hall of Famequarterback Sid Luckman in the 1st round, forming the backbone of the Bears' great 1940s teams, which won championships in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946. Osmanski did not play for the Bears in the 1944 and 1945 seasons due toWorld War II . He served in theUnited States Marine Corps during these years, in Guam, Guadalcanal, and Okinawa. Osmanski retired from professional football following the 1947 season.After retirement
Coaching
After his retirement from the professional game, Osmanski became the head coach at his alma mater, Holy Cross. He coached the Crusaders for two seasons, 1948 and 1949, going 6-14-0.
Dentistry career
During his playing years with the Bears, Osmanski attended dental school at
Northwestern University . Following his coaching years, Osmanski opened a practice in Chicago. He died in Chicago on Christmas Day, 1996.External links
* [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30037 College Football Hall of Fame biography]
* [http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/osmanskibill.shtml HickokSports.com biography]
* [http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=osmanski Professional Football Researchers Association article]
* [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=OSMANBIL01 Professional statistics from databaseFootball.com]
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