Billy Kilmer
Encyclopedia
William Orland Kilmer, Jr. (born September 5, 1939 in Topeka
, Kansas
) was an American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
for the San Francisco 49ers
, the New Orleans Saints
and the Washington Redskins
. He played college football
for the UCLA
Bruins
.
, Kilmer played baseball, football and basketball during his athletic career at Citrus High School
in California, scoring more than 1,500 points in the latter sport while earning All-America
n honors. His baseball exploits saw him win All-Conference accolades, while the poor fortunes of his football squad saw him relegated to Third Team All-Conference recognition.
. During that stellar campaign, he threw for over 1,000 yards, ran for over 800, scored eight touchdowns and served as the team's punter. Kilmer was also awarded the 1960 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast.
After the conclusion of a UCLA career that saw him finish among the top five in school history for passing and rushing yards, as well as total offense, Kilmer played in the 1961 College All-Star Game
, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors.
in the first round (eleventh overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft
by the 49ers. He was also selected in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL Draft
by the San Diego Chargers
, but signed with San Francisco on December 30, 1960. During that rookie season, he saw action primarily at running back
, rushing for 509 yards and ten touchdowns, with his top performance coming against the expansion Minnesota Vikings
on October 15 when he rushed for four touchdowns.
The following year, Kilmer's season came to an early end following a December 5 auto accident in which he fell asleep in his 1957 Chevrolet and drove off the Bayshore Freeway
into the San Francisco Bay
. Suffering a fractured leg, Kilmer's injury was bad enough to also force him to sit out the entire 1963 NFL season
. He was able to return the following year, but his production was limited. After he saw no action in 1965 and was involved in a training camp contract dispute the next season, he was placed in the 1967 NFL Expansion Draft
.
and, despite originally being thought of as the team's third-best signal caller, became the team's starting quarterback for much of the next four seasons, although he shared time with Edd Hargett
during his final two seasons. His most prolific performance during his four-year stint with the team came on November 2, 1969, when he threw for 345 yards and six touchdowns in a 51-42 win over the St. Louis Cardinals
.
Frustrated after four years of the Saints' futility and sensing New Orleans would draft Ole Miss
star Archie Manning
with the second overall pick of the 1971 NFL Draft
, Kilmer asked to be traded and was granted his wish on January 23, 1971, when he was traded to the Washington Redskins
for linebacker Tom Roussel
and two draft selections.
r Sonny Jurgensen
.
That status changed on September 4 when Jurgensen suffered a severe shoulder injury against the Miami Dolphins
. Kilmer then led the resurgent Redskins to a 5-0 start, but a midseason slump cost them the opportunity to win the National Football Conference
Eastern Division. Kilmer briefly lost his starting job as a result of the slide, but regained it after Jurgensen again injured his shoulder. Fans in Washington tended to be loyal to one quarterback or the other, sporting buttons at games that read "I like Billy" or "I like Sonny." Kilmer did not throw the tight spiral that Jurgensen did, but his wobbly passes often got the job done.
One year later, Kilmer led the Redskins to an NFC-best 11-3 record, while also leading the NFL in touchdown passes (19) and passer rating (84.8). After the season, Washington advanced to their first Super Bowl
, which they lost, 14-7, to the unbeaten Miami Dolphins
(16-0). The loss didn't dampen Kilmer's individual recognition as he was named to the Pro Bowl
and the All-NFC Team.
That success would endear Kilmer to Allen, who remained loyal to the signal caller, despite determined challenges from Jurgensen and former University of Notre Dame
quarterback Joe Theismann
. Kilmer remained with the Redskins until 1978, serving as a backup to Theismann during that final year. Kilmer's demotion could undoubtedly be due to the dismissal of Allen at the conclusion of the previous season.
During his time with the Redskins, Kilmer became one of the few remaining users of a single-bar face mask
on the helmet
, as multi-bar face masks became the norm in the NFL. Theismann also wore the single-bar throughout his career.
Kilmer finished his 16-year NFL career with 1,585 of 2,984 completions for 20,495 yards and 154 touchdowns, with 146 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,509 yards and 21 touchdowns, caught 27 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown, and punted the ball 16 times for 598 yards.
Kilmer’s most memorable night on the town came early Monday morning December 6th 1971 after beating the Giants 23-7. He got arrested at the Toddle House
, a coffee shop in Arlington. Apparently, Kilmer was attempting to pay a $4 tab with a $100 bill and an argument ensued involving the waitress. A policeman showed up, and Kilmer, who had been drinking anything but coffee earlier that evening, told the policeman, “If you think I’m wrong, put me in jail!” The policeman locked Kilmer up for the night, releasing him in time to lead the Redskins into the playoffs against San Francisco. Kilmer “won the hearts of fans when he told the waitress she could keep the $100 as a tip”.
This arrest give rise to the quarterback's image as a hell-raiser. That reputation had been noted by Saints owner John Mecom, Jr., who mentioned Kilmer's many late-hour visits to New Orleans bars while playing for the team.
On December 11, 1976, Kilmer was arrested for drunk driving less than 2 days before a game against the Dallas Cowboys
.
in support of the GMAC Bowl
.
Billy Kilmer was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
) was an 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...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
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...
for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He played 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...
for the UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
.
Early life
A native of Azusa, CaliforniaAzusa, California
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
, Kilmer played baseball, football and basketball during his athletic career at Citrus High School
Citrus High School
This page is under construction by the student media aides at Citrus High School.- References :The school's official website is http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/chs/...
in California, scoring more than 1,500 points in the latter sport while earning All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors. His baseball exploits saw him win All-Conference accolades, while the poor fortunes of his football squad saw him relegated to Third Team All-Conference recognition.
College career
Kilmer then competed in football for one year at Citrus Junior College where he scored six touchdowns and threw for 15 more, with a broken foot limiting his playing time for the Citrus basketball team. He then went on to play three seasons at UCLA, closing out his career with an outstanding season in 1960 that helped him finish fifth in voting for the Heisman TrophyHeisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. During that stellar campaign, he threw for over 1,000 yards, ran for over 800, scored eight touchdowns and served as the team's punter. Kilmer was also awarded the 1960 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. Award recipients include...
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast.
After the conclusion of a UCLA career that saw him finish among the top five in school history for passing and rushing yards, as well as total offense, Kilmer played in the 1961 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...
, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors.
San Francisco 49ers
Kilmer was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the first round (eleventh overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft
1961 NFL Draft
The 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for...
by the 49ers. He was also selected in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL Draft
1961 American Football League Draft
Because another league was in competition for the class of 1961 college stars, the American Football League draft for 1961 graduates was actually held in 1960, with a six-round telephone draft on November 23, that saw the Denver Broncos select New Mexico State's Bob Gaiters as the overall first...
by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but signed with San Francisco on December 30, 1960. During that rookie season, he saw action primarily at running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, rushing for 509 yards and ten touchdowns, with his top performance coming against the expansion Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on October 15 when he rushed for four touchdowns.
The following year, Kilmer's season came to an early end following a December 5 auto accident in which he fell asleep in his 1957 Chevrolet and drove off the Bayshore Freeway
Bayshore Freeway
The Bayshore Freeway is a part of U.S. Route 101 in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It runs along the west shore of the San Francisco Bay, connecting San Jose with San Francisco. Within the city of San Francisco, the freeway is also known as James Lick Freeway...
into the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. Suffering a fractured leg, Kilmer's injury was bad enough to also force him to sit out the entire 1963 NFL season
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
. He was able to return the following year, but his production was limited. After he saw no action in 1965 and was involved in a training camp contract dispute the next season, he was placed in the 1967 NFL Expansion Draft
1967 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1967 National Football League Expansion Draft was a National Football League draft in which a new expansion team, named the New Orleans Saints, selected its first players. On November 1, 1966, , NFL owners awarded its 16th team franchise to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana...
.
New Orleans Saints
On February 10, 1967, Kilmer was selected in the expansion draft by the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and, despite originally being thought of as the team's third-best signal caller, became the team's starting quarterback for much of the next four seasons, although he shared time with Edd Hargett
Edd Hargett
Edward Eugene Hargett is a former American football quarterback for Texas A&M University who went on to play professionally for the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers. He later played for the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League.Edd passed for 5379 yards in his 3 year career ...
during his final two seasons. His most prolific performance during his four-year stint with the team came on November 2, 1969, when he threw for 345 yards and six touchdowns in a 51-42 win over the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Frustrated after four years of the Saints' futility and sensing New Orleans would draft Ole Miss
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
star Archie Manning
Archie Manning
Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...
with the second overall pick of the 1971 NFL Draft
1971 NFL Draft
The 1971 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1971.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, Kilmer asked to be traded and was granted his wish on January 23, 1971, when he was traded to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
for linebacker Tom Roussel
Tom Roussel
Thomas James Roussel is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the New Orleans Saints, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at The University of Southern Mississippi and was drafted in the second round of the 1968 NFL...
and two draft selections.
Washington Redskins
As the first trade during the George Allen era in Washington, Kilmer was destined for a reserve role behind future Hall of FameHall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
r Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
.
That status changed on September 4 when Jurgensen suffered a severe shoulder injury against the 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...
. Kilmer then led the resurgent Redskins to a 5-0 start, but a midseason slump cost them the opportunity to win the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Eastern Division. Kilmer briefly lost his starting job as a result of the slide, but regained it after Jurgensen again injured his shoulder. Fans in Washington tended to be loyal to one quarterback or the other, sporting buttons at games that read "I like Billy" or "I like Sonny." Kilmer did not throw the tight spiral that Jurgensen did, but his wobbly passes often got the job done.
One year later, Kilmer led the Redskins to an NFC-best 11-3 record, while also leading the NFL in touchdown passes (19) and passer rating (84.8). After the season, Washington advanced to their first Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, which they lost, 14-7, to the unbeaten 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...
(16-0). The loss didn't dampen Kilmer's individual recognition as he was named to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
and the All-NFC Team.
That success would endear Kilmer to Allen, who remained loyal to the signal caller, despite determined challenges from Jurgensen and former University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
quarterback Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
. Kilmer remained with the Redskins until 1978, serving as a backup to Theismann during that final year. Kilmer's demotion could undoubtedly be due to the dismissal of Allen at the conclusion of the previous season.
During his time with the Redskins, Kilmer became one of the few remaining users of a single-bar face mask
Face mask
Strictly, the expression face mask is tautological and means "mask", because masks by definition go on the face; but it is sometimes used to mean:*Respirator*Among divers, diving mask...
on the helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
, as multi-bar face masks became the norm in the NFL. Theismann also wore the single-bar throughout his career.
Kilmer finished his 16-year NFL career with 1,585 of 2,984 completions for 20,495 yards and 154 touchdowns, with 146 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,509 yards and 21 touchdowns, caught 27 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown, and punted the ball 16 times for 598 yards.
Problems with alcohol
It was during the 1970 season that rumors stirred that Kilmer missed curfew before a game against the Denver Broncos and that his new Redskins teammates had nicknamed him “Ole Whiskey”.Kilmer’s most memorable night on the town came early Monday morning December 6th 1971 after beating the Giants 23-7. He got arrested at the Toddle House
Toddle House
Toddle House was a national restaurant chain in the United States specializing in breakfast and open 24/7. Each outlet was built to the same plan, and contained no tables, but merely a short counter with a row of ten stools. Payment was on the honor system: customers deposited their checks with...
, a coffee shop in Arlington. Apparently, Kilmer was attempting to pay a $4 tab with a $100 bill and an argument ensued involving the waitress. A policeman showed up, and Kilmer, who had been drinking anything but coffee earlier that evening, told the policeman, “If you think I’m wrong, put me in jail!” The policeman locked Kilmer up for the night, releasing him in time to lead the Redskins into the playoffs against San Francisco. Kilmer “won the hearts of fans when he told the waitress she could keep the $100 as a tip”.
This arrest give rise to the quarterback's image as a hell-raiser. That reputation had been noted by Saints owner John Mecom, Jr., who mentioned Kilmer's many late-hour visits to New Orleans bars while playing for the team.
On December 11, 1976, Kilmer was arrested for drunk driving less than 2 days before a game against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Post-playing career
Following his retirement, Kilmer stayed on the fringes while working for a gambling service that made selections on NFL games, but has since stayed out of the spotlight. Kilmer served as coach of the Shreveport Steamers of the American Football Association (a summer professional league) in 1979 and commissioner of the same league in 1981, but left as a result of numerous problems under his tenure as well as a lack of payment. He occasionally makes appearances in Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
in support of the GMAC Bowl
GMAC Bowl
The GoDaddy.com Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. It currently matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference, and...
.
Billy Kilmer was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987
