Bill Spears: Difference between revisions

Bill Spears
	circa 1927
Vanderbilt Commodores
Position	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	August 31, 1906; Jasper, Tennessee, U.S.
Died:	December 31, 1992 (aged 86); Tennessee, U.S.
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Career history
College	Vanderbilt (1925–1927)
Career highlights and awards
	First-team All-American (1927); Second-team All-American (1926); 2× All-Southern (1926, 1927); Ranked by coach Dan McGugin as one of his six best players;
	College Football Hall of Fame (1962)

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William Douglas Spears (August 31, 1906 – December 31, 1992), known as "Bounding Bill Spears", was an American football player and stand-out quarterback for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football teams from 1925 to 1927. Spears was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962.^[1] Grantland Rice said of Spears that he was one of the fastest quarters he had ever seen.^[2]

Early years

High school

Spears attended The McCallie School.

Vanderbilt

Playing years

Known as "Bounding Bill;" "Spears can run a team like a playing coach, drop kick, boot from placement, and pass cooly [sic] and accurately in the teeth of a charging line."^[3]

1925

Edwin Pope writes "In 1925 McGugin came up with his finest quarterback in Bill Spears. Spears learned much from his coach and in three seasons had an unbelievably low number of interceptions. He led the Commodores three years in which they only lost to Georgia Tech and Auburn in '25, Alabama in '26. and Texas in '27."^[4]

1926

The 1926 team suffered its only loss to national champion Alabama.

1927

One fellow wrote Vanderbilt produced "almost certainly the legit top Heisman candidate in Spears, if there had been a Heisman Trophy to award in 1927."^[5] In a 32–0 victory over Tulane, Spears had touchdown runs of 88 and 77 yards.^[6] Spears received the most votes for the 1927 All-Southern team,^[7] and was selected the first-team All-American quarterback by the Associated Press.^[8] The 1927 Vanderbilt Commodores included the nation's leading scorer in running back Jimmy Armistead. His understudy at quarterback was later coach Henry "Red" Sanders.^[9]^[10]

Statistics

Year	Carries	Rushing Yards	Average	Rushing TDs	Completions	Attempts	Passing Yards	Passing TDs	Interceptions	Kickoff returns	Kickoff yards	Kickoff TDs	Punt returns	Punt return average	Punt returns TDs	XP
1927	141	794	5.6	5	64	133	1207	9	4	5	177	1	30	5.9	7	16

^[5]

Coaching years

1929

Spears was an assistant on the 1929 team.^[11]

References

^ College Football Hall of fame, Hall of Famers, Bill Spears Member Biography. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
^ Traughber, Bill (September 22, 2004). "College Hall of Fame Includes Vanderbilt". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015.
^ Horace C. Renegar (December 22, 1927). "Bama Star Is Captain Of Eleven". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 12. Retrieved March 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Edwin Pope (1956). Football's Greatest Coaches. pp. 345–346.
^ ^a ^b Mark Purcell (November 1988). "Spears and Vandy excitement in 1927" (PDF). College Football Historical Society. 2 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
^ Christopher J. Walsh (July 18, 2006). Where Football Is King: A History of the SEC. p. 123. ISBN 9781461734772.
^ "Spears Given Highest Vote in Selection". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 27, 1927.
^ "East, West and South Share All-American Honors: Mythical Eleven Averages 185 Pounds With Every Man A Captain". Billings Gazette. December 11, 1927.
^ "Sanders Admits Surprise Over PCC Sanity Code". Long Beach Independent. January 28, 1949.
^ Joe Marvin (November 2002). "Red Sanders Part 1: The Vanderbilt Years" (PDF). College Football Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
^ Fred Russell (1948). Funny Thing about Sports. p. 34.

[cfbhofspears-1] College Football Hall of fame, Hall of Famers, Bill Spears Member Biography. Retrieved March 12, 2010.

[2] Traughber, Bill (September 22, 2004). "College Hall of Fame Includes Vanderbilt". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015.

[3] Horace C. Renegar (December 22, 1927). "Bama Star Is Captain Of Eleven". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 12. Retrieved March 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] Edwin Pope (1956). Football's Greatest Coaches. pp. 345–346.

[excite-5] Mark Purcell (November 1988). "Spears and Vandy excitement in 1927" (PDF). College Football Historical Society. 2 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[6] Christopher J. Walsh (July 18, 2006). Where Football Is King: A History of the SEC. p. 123. ISBN 9781461734772.

[7] "Spears Given Highest Vote in Selection". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 27, 1927.

[8] "East, West and South Share All-American Honors: Mythical Eleven Averages 185 Pounds With Every Man A Captain". Billings Gazette. December 11, 1927.

[9] "Sanders Admits Surprise Over PCC Sanity Code". Long Beach Independent. January 28, 1949.

[10] Joe Marvin (November 2002). "Red Sanders Part 1: The Vanderbilt Years" (PDF). College Football Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.

[11] Fred Russell (1948). Funny Thing about Sports. p. 34.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American football player (1906–1992)}}
-{{Infobox college coach
+{{distinguish|Bill Speirs}}
-|name             = Bill Spears
+{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
-|image            = BillSpears.jpg
+{{Infobox college football player
-|image_size    = 175
+| name = Bill Spears
-|nickname=the Quicksilver Quarterback
+| image = BillSpears.jpg
-|birth_date      = August 31, 1906
+| alt =
-|birth_place       = [[Jasper, Tennessee]]
+| caption = circa 1927
-|death_date      ={{dda|1992|12|31|1906|8|31}}
+| weight_lb=155
-|death_place       = [[Tennessee]]
+| school=Vanderbilt Commodores
-|player_positions         = [[Quarterback]]
+| birth_date = {{birth-date|August 31, 1906}}
-|alma_mater        = [[Vanderbilt University]]
+| birth_place = [[Jasper, Tennessee]], U.S.
-|Awards           =2x [[College Football All-Southern Team|All-Southern]] (1926, 1927)<br>2x [[All-America]]n (1926, 1927)<br>Ranked by coach [[Dan McGugin]] as one of his six best players
+| death_date = {{death date and age|1992|12|31|1906|8|31|mf=y}}
-|Honors           =
+| death_place = [[Tennessee]], U.S.
-|DatabaseFootball =
+|pastschools= [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] (1925&ndash;1927)
-|player_years= 1926&ndash;1927
+| currentposition = [[Quarterback]]
-|player_teams= [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]]
+| highlights=
-|coach_years= 1929&ndash;?
+* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1927 College Football All-America Team|1927]])
-|coach_teams= [[Vanderbilt Commodores football|Vanderbilt]] (Assistant)
+* Second-team All-American ([[1926 College Football All-America Team|1926]])
-|CFBHOF_id     = 20105
+*2× [[College Football All-Southern Team|All-Southern]] ([[1926 College Football All-Southern Team|1926]], [[1927 College Football All-Southern Team|1927]])
-|CFBHOF_year   = 1962
+*Ranked by coach [[Dan McGugin]] as one of his six best players
-|HOF              =
+|CFBHOF_id=1443
+|CFBHOF_year=1962
 }}
-'''William Douglas "Bill" Spears''' (August 31, 1906 &ndash; December 31, 1992) was an [[American football]] player and stand-out [[quarterback]] for [[Dan McGugin]]'s [[Vanderbilt Commodores football]] teams from 1925 to 1927.  Spears was elected to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1962.<ref name=cfbhofspears>College Football Hall of fame, Hall of Famers, [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=20105  Bill Spears Member Biography].  Retrieved March 12, 2010.</ref> [[Grantland Rice]] said of Spears that he was one of the fastest quarters he'd ever seen.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.vucommodores.com/genrel/092204aaa.html|title = College Hall of Fame Includes Vanderbilt|date = September 22, 2004|accessdate = |website = |publisher = |last = Traughber|first = Bill}}</ref>
+'''William Douglas Spears''' (August 31, 1906 – December 31, 1992), known as "'''Bounding Bill Spears'''", was an [[American football]] player and stand-out [[quarterback]] for [[Dan McGugin]]'s [[Vanderbilt Commodores football]] teams from [[1925 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|1925]] to [[1927 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|1927]].  Spears was elected to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1962.<ref name=cfbhofspears>College Football Hall of fame, Hall of Famers, [{{College Football HoF/url|id=1443}}  Bill Spears Member Biography].  Retrieved March 12, 2010.</ref> [[Grantland Rice]] said of Spears that he was one of the fastest quarters he had ever seen.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.vucommodores.com/genrel/092204aaa.html|title = College Hall of Fame Includes Vanderbilt|date = September 22, 2004|last = Traughber|first = Bill|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117063304/http://www.vucommodores.com/genrel/092204aaa.html|archive-date = November 17, 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
 ==Early years==
 ===High school===
 Spears attended [[The McCallie School]].
 ==Vanderbilt==
 ===Playing years===
+Known as "Bounding Bill;" "Spears can run a team like a playing coach, drop kick, boot from placement, and pass {{sic|cooly|nolink=y}} and accurately in the teeth of a charging line."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1995919//|work=The Bismarck Tribune|date=December 22, 1927|page=12|access-date=March 15, 2015|title=Bama Star Is Captain Of Eleven|author=Horace C. Renegar|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>
-[[Edwin Pope]] writes "In 1925 McGugin came up with his finest quarterback in Bill Spears. Spears learned much from his coach and in three seasons had an unbelievably low number of interceptions He led the Commodores three years in which they only lost to Georgia Tech and Auburn in '25, Alabama in '26. and Texas in '27.<ref>{{cite book|author=Edwin Pope|pages=345-346|url=http://archive.org/stream/fottballsgreates00pope#page/344/mode/2up/search/spears|title=Football's Greatest Coaches}}</ref>
+====1925====
+[[Edwin Pope]] writes "In 1925 McGugin came up with his finest quarterback in Bill Spears. Spears learned much from his coach and in three seasons had an unbelievably low number of interceptions. He led the Commodores three years in which they only lost to Georgia Tech and Auburn in '25, Alabama in '26. and Texas in '27."<ref>{{cite book|author=Edwin Pope|pages=345–346|url=https://archive.org/stream/fottballsgreates00pope#page/344/mode/2up/search/spears|title=Football's Greatest Coaches|year=1956 }}</ref>
+====1926====
+The [[1926 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|1926 team]] suffered its only loss to national champion [[1926 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]].
 ====1927====
+One fellow wrote Vanderbilt produced "almost certainly the legit top Heisman candidate in Spears, if there had been a [[Heisman Trophy]] to award in 1927."<ref name=excite>{{cite journal|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv02/CFHSNv02n1a.pdf|journal=College Football Historical Society|volume=2|number=1|date=November 1988|title=Spears and Vandy excitement in 1927|author=Mark Purcell|access-date=2014-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911232525/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv02/CFHSNv02n1a.pdf|archive-date=2016-09-11|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a 32–0 victory over [[1926 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]], Spears had touchdown runs of 88 and 77 yards.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RS4VAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA123|title=Where Football Is King: A History of the SEC|author=Christopher J. Walsh|date=18 July 2006|page=123|isbn=9781461734772}}</ref> Spears received the most votes for the 1927 [[College Football All-Southern Team|All-Southern]] team,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1787&dat=19271127&id=XbUeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4004,922652|title=Spears Given Highest Vote in Selection|date=November 27, 1927|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref> and was selected the first-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] quarterback by the ''[[Associated Press]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=East, West and South Share All-American Honors: Mythical Eleven Averages 185 Pounds With Every Man A Captain|work=Billings Gazette|date=1927-12-11}}</ref> The [[1927 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|1927 Vanderbilt Commodores]] included the nation's leading scorer in [[running back]] [[Jimmy Armistead]]. His understudy at quarterback was later coach [[Henry Russell Sanders|Henry "Red" Sanders]].<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/73974815/|title = Sanders Admits Surprise Over PCC Sanity Code|date = January 28, 1949|work = Long Beach Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=College Football Historical Society|date=November 2002|title=Red Sanders Part 1: The Vanderbilt Years|author=Joe Marvin|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv16/CFHSNv16n1a.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080639/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv16/CFHSNv16n1a.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref>
-{{main|1927 Vanderbilt Commodores football team}}
-One fellow wrote Vanderbilt produced "almost certainly the legit top Heisman candidate in Spears, if there had been a [[Heisman Trophy]] to award in 1927."<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv02/CFHSNv02n1a.pdf|journal=College Football Historical Society|volume=2|number=1| date=November 1988 |title=Spears and Vandy excitement in 1927|author=Mark Purcell}}</ref> In a 32 to 0 victory over [[1926 Tulane Green Wave football team|Tulane]], Spears had touchdown runs of 88 and 77 yards.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RS4VAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA123#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Where Football Is King: A History of the SEC|author=Christopher J. Walsh|page=123}}</ref> Spears received the most votes for the 1927 [[College Football All-Southern Team|All-Southern]] team,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1787&dat=19271127&id=XbUeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4004,922652|title=Spears Given Highest Vote in Selection|date=November 27, 1927|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref> and was selected the first-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] quarterback by the ''[[Associated Press]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=East, West and South Share All-American Honors: Mythical Eleven Averages 185 Pounds With Every Man A Captain|work=Billings Gazette|date=1927-12-11}}</ref> The [[1927 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|1927 Vanderbilt Commodores]] included the nation's leading scorer in [[running back]] [[Jimmy Armistead]]. His understudy at quarterback was later coach [[Henry Russell Sanders|Henry "Red" Sanders]]. Spears weighed 155 pounds.
+=====Statistics=====
+{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
+|-style="text-align: center"
+! Year !! Carries !!   Rushing<br />Yards !!  Average !!  Rushing TDs!!Completions!!Attempts!!Passing<br />Yards!!Passing TDs!!  Interceptions!!Kickoff<br />returns!!Kickoff<br/> yards!!Kickoff TDs!!Punt<br/>returns!!Punt<br/>return average!!Punt<br/>returns TDs!!XP
+|-
+| 1927 || 141 || 794 || 5.6 || 5|| 64 || 133||1207||9||4||5||177||1||30||5.9||7||16
+|}<ref name=excite/>
 ===Coaching years===
 ====1929====
-Spears was an assistant on the 1929 team.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=kjbcVOqxFJHCsATRj4CYAw&id=uyDwAAAAMAAJ&dq=spears+inauthor%3A%22Fred+Russell%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22on+the+job%22|page=34|title=Funny Thing about Sports|year=1948|author=[[Fred Russell]]}}</ref>
+Spears was an assistant on the 1929 team.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyDwAAAAMAAJ&q=%22on+the+job%22|page=34|title=Funny Thing about Sports|year=1948|author=Fred Russell|author-link=Fred Russell}}</ref>
-== References ==
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
-{{reflist}}
-{{1926_College_Football_Composite_All-Southerns}}
-{{1927_College_Football_Composite_All-Southerns}}
 {{Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback navbox}}
+{{1926 College Football Composite All-Southerns}}
+{{1927 College Football Composite All-Southerns}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Spears, Bill
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American football player
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = August 31, 1906
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[Jasper, Tennessee]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     = December 31, 1992
-| PLACE OF DEATH    = [[Tennessee]]
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Spears, Bill}}
 [[Category:1906 births]]
 [[Category:1992 deaths]]
-[[Category:People from Marion County, Tennessee]]
+[[Category:American football drop kickers]]
-[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
+[[Category:American football placekickers]]
+[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
+[[Category:Baseball shortstops]]
+[[Category:Vanderbilt Commodores baseball players]]
 [[Category:Vanderbilt Commodores football players]]
 [[Category:All-American college football players]]
 [[Category:All-Southern college football players]]
+[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
+[[Category:People from Jasper, Tennessee]]
+[[Category:Sportspeople from the Chattanooga metropolitan area]]
 [[Category:Players of American football from Tennessee]]
-[[Category:Vanderbilt Commodores baseball players]]
-[[Category:Baseball shortstops]]
-{{collegefootball-stub}}

v t e 1926 College Football All-Southern Team composite selections
Backfield	QB Bill Spears HB George Morton HB Red Barnes FB Ty Rauber
Line	E Hoyt Winslett E Herschel Caldwell T Curtis Luckey T John Barnhill G Fred Pickhard G Charles Mackall C Gordon Holmes

v t e 1927 College Football All-Southern Team composite selections
Backfield	QB Bill Spears HB Stumpy Thomason HB Dick Dodson FB Herdis McCrary
Line	E Tom Nash E Ivey Shiver T Fred Pickhard T Jess Tinsley G John Barnhill G Gene Smith C Elvin Butcher