Bill Simpson (American football)
Encyclopedia
William Thomas "Bill" Simpson (born December 5, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan
) is a former professional
American football
defensive back
who played in the National Football League
from 1974-1982. Before his NFL career, he played defensive back and punted for Michigan State University
and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams
in the 2nd round of the 1974 NFL Draft
. He was a standout athlete at Royal Oak Shrine High School
and was elected to the Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic High School League Hall of Fame in 2007.
Pro career
He played 5 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (1974–1978) which culminated in his receiving several post-season awards:
1977 - Sporting News: 1st team all-conf.
1977 - UPI: 2nd team all-conf.
1978 - Pro Football Weekly: 1st team all-conf.
1978 - UPI: 2nd team all-conf.
He finished his pro career with the Buffalo Bills
(1980–1982).
During the 1981 wild card playoff game (played Dec 27, 1981 at Shea Stadium) he made a "final-seconds-last-play" end-zone interception - that would have otherwise allowed the NY Jets to win - robbing them of the chance to go on to play the Cincinnati Bengals for the division title.
Bill is the father to Brett Simpson
, a 2009 and 2010 U.S. Open of Surfing contest winner.
External links
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) is a former professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
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...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who played 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...
from 1974-1982. Before his NFL career, he played defensive back and punted for Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the 2nd round of the 1974 NFL Draft
1974 NFL Draft
The 1974 National Football League Draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams was granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks....
. He was a standout athlete at Royal Oak Shrine High School
Shrine Catholic High School
Shrine Catholic High School is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic secondary high school located in Royal Oak, Michigan, affiliated with National Shrine of the Little Flower Church. It has an attached middle school called the "Academy"...
and was elected to the Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic High School League Hall of Fame in 2007.
Pro career
He played 5 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (1974–1978) which culminated in his receiving several post-season awards:
1977 - Sporting News: 1st team all-conf.
1977 - UPI: 2nd team all-conf.
1978 - Pro Football Weekly: 1st team all-conf.
1978 - UPI: 2nd team all-conf.
He finished his pro career with 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...
(1980–1982).
During the 1981 wild card playoff game (played Dec 27, 1981 at Shea Stadium) he made a "final-seconds-last-play" end-zone interception - that would have otherwise allowed the NY Jets to win - robbing them of the chance to go on to play the Cincinnati Bengals for the division title.
Bill is the father to Brett Simpson
Brett Simpson
Brett Simpson is a surfer from Huntington Beach, California. He won the 2009 U.S. Open of Surfing contest, and repeated again in 2010 by successfully defending his title against South African surfer Jordy Smith. He is a graduate of Huntington Beach High School. Simpson was named the Orange...
, a 2009 and 2010 U.S. Open of Surfing contest winner.
External links