Bill Stevenson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Bill Stevenson is a former professional Canadian football
player with the Canadian Football League
's Edmonton Eskimos
. After playing college football
at Drake University
, he was drafted by the NFL's Miami Dolphins
and played in the World Football League
with the Memphis Southmen
for two seasons. Then Stevenson spent his entire 14 year CFL career with the Eskimos, the first three as a defensive lineman and the remainder as an offensive lineman. He was named CFL All-Star 2 times and was a part of seven Grey Cup
championship teams with the Eskimos.
After his playing career ended, Stevenson struggled in his business and personal life, suffered through bankruptcy and divorce, and was forced to take refuge in shelters for the homeless. He died in 2007 in an accident when he slipped and fell backwards down the stairs in his mother's home in Edmonton.
On November 19, 2008, the CBC Television
show The Fifth Estate
suggested that Stevenson, who went through years of alcohol abuse and destitution, suffered from the effects of years of unreported head injuries from playing professional football. Teammates York Hentschel
and David Boone
are believed to have suffered from the same injuries.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player with the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
. After playing college football
College 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...
at Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
, he was drafted by the NFL's Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and played in the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
with the Memphis Southmen
Memphis Southmen
The Memphis Southmen were a franchise in the World Football League which operated in 1974 and 1975. They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.-From North to South:...
for two seasons. Then Stevenson spent his entire 14 year CFL career with the Eskimos, the first three as a defensive lineman and the remainder as an offensive lineman. He was named CFL All-Star 2 times and was a part of seven Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
championship teams with the Eskimos.
After his playing career ended, Stevenson struggled in his business and personal life, suffered through bankruptcy and divorce, and was forced to take refuge in shelters for the homeless. He died in 2007 in an accident when he slipped and fell backwards down the stairs in his mother's home in Edmonton.
On November 19, 2008, the CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
show The Fifth Estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
suggested that Stevenson, who went through years of alcohol abuse and destitution, suffered from the effects of years of unreported head injuries from playing professional football. Teammates York Hentschel
York Hentschel
York Hentschel was a Grey Cup champion defensive lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos.As a member of the famed "Alberta Crude" defence, Hentschel won 3 Grey Cups with the Eskimos...
and David Boone
David Boone
David Boone was an All-Star Canadian Football League defensive lineman, winner of 5 Grey Cups.-Rookie Year:Boone graduated from Eastern Michigan University and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings...
are believed to have suffered from the same injuries.