Bill Enyart
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" "Earthquake" Donald Enyart (born April 28, 1947 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
) is a former American football
player who played for the Buffalo Bills
from 1969–1970 and for the Oakland Raiders
in 1971.
and was a standout prep athlete
at Medford High School
. In his three seasons playing varsity
football, the "Black Tornado" compiled a 26-3-1 record and an A-1 state title in his sophomore season.
for the Oregon State Beavers
. Enyart played four seasons with the Beavers, earning 1st team All-Conference honors in 1967 and 1968 and All-America
n honors in 1968. After spending his freshman year on the "Rook" team, Enyart played linebacker in his sophomore (1966) season. He was the starting
fullback
for the famed 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer team. In his senior season in 1968, Enyart had 1,304 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns, and 102 points. Against the University of Utah
, he carried the ball 50 times for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In the three seasons Enyart lettered
, the Beavers posted an overall record of 21-8-1. Enyart was chosen to play in 5 post-season All-Star games: East-West Shrine Game
, Senior Bowl
, Coaches All-America Bowl, College All-Star Game
, and the Hula Bowl
, where he was named the outstanding back.
for the Buffalo Bills
before the AFL-NFL merger
. After the merge, he played all 14 games for the Bills in their first season in the National Football League
. The following year, Enyart was traded to the Oakland Raiders
where he played 1 game before a career ending injury.
in 2003. In May 2011, he was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame
. He currently works as a Medicaid
care provider in Bend, Oregon
.
Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Pawhuska is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States, and the capital of the Osage Nation. The population was 3,589 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1.2 percent from 3,629 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Code for the city is 74056...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1969–1970 and for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1971.
Early life
Enyart grew up in Medford, OregonMedford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
and was a standout prep athlete
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Medford High School
North Medford High School
North Medford High School is a public high school in Medford, Oregon, United States. It is part of Medford School District, and its mascot is the Black Tornado. It is the only school in America with the Black Tornado as a mascot.- History :...
. In his three seasons playing varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
football, the "Black Tornado" compiled a 26-3-1 record and an A-1 state title in his sophomore season.
College career
Enyart played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
. Enyart played four seasons with the Beavers, earning 1st team All-Conference honors in 1967 and 1968 and All-America
1968 College Football All-America Team
The 1968 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Central Press Association, Football Writers...
n honors in 1968. After spending his freshman year on the "Rook" team, Enyart played linebacker in his sophomore (1966) season. He was the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the famed 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer team. In his senior season in 1968, Enyart had 1,304 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns, and 102 points. Against the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, he carried the ball 50 times for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In the three seasons Enyart lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
, the Beavers posted an overall record of 21-8-1. Enyart was chosen to play in 5 post-season All-Star games: East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
, Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
, Coaches All-America Bowl, College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
, and the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
, where he was named the outstanding back.
Professional career
Enyart played in 14 games in his first season in the American Football LeagueAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
before the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. After the merge, he played all 14 games for the Bills in their first season in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The following year, Enyart was traded to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
where he played 1 game before a career ending injury.
Legacy
Enyart was inducted into the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Oregon Sports Hall of FameOregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 2003. In May 2011, he was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. He currently works as a Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
care provider in Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
.