Bill Amos

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1898–1987)}}

{{distinguish|Bill Amos (politician)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Bill Amos

| image = Bill Amos.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| sport =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|7|6}}

| birth_place = Graysville, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|4|26|1898|7|6}}

| death_place = Washington, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| alma_mater = The Kiski School

| player_years1 = 1923

| player_team1 = Washington & Jefferson

| player_years2 = 1925–1927

| player_team2 = Washington & Jefferson

| player_positions = Fullback

| coach_years1 = 1929–1931

| coach_team1 = Washington & Jefferson

| coach_years2 = 1932–1936

| coach_team2 = Grove City

| coach_years3 = 1937–1945

| coach_team3 = Washington HS (PA)

| overall_record = 34–24–8 (college)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

• Second-team All-American (1926)
• Third-team All-American (1927)
• 2× First-team All-Eastern (1926, 1927)
• Second-team All-Eastern (1925)

| coaching_records =

}}

William Enlow Amos (July 6, 1898 – April 26, 1987) was an American college football player and coach.{{Cite web|title=Observer-Reporter - Google News Archive Search|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=faZdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KV0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2518,186508&dq=bill+amos+washington+jefferson&hl=en|access-date=2020-09-17|website=news.google.com}} He is considered to be one of the best college football players in Washington & Jefferson College history.{{Cite news | title = Bill Amos Featured Speaker - Press Fetes Most Valuable Gridders Tomorrow Night| newspaper = The Pittsburgh Press| location =Pittsburgh| date = November 19, 1944| url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UVkbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nkwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4051%2C5036524| accessdate = May 2, 2010}}

Amos was born in Graysville, Pennsylvania. He attended The Kiski School and was a veteran of World War I.

As a fullback for Washington & Jefferson for was named to the 1926 College Football All-America Team and the 1927 College Football All-America Team.

After graduation, he turned down an offer from Pete Henry to play for the New York Giants and a minor league baseball contract. He returned to coach the Washington & Jefferson College football team from 1929 to 1931, amassing a record of 17–8–3.{{cite news |title=Presidents Football Media Guide 2008 |publisher=Washington & Jefferson College |year=2008 |url=http://www.washjeff.edu/Athletics/Football/08GUIDE1.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326165332/http://www.washjeff.edu/Athletics/Football/08GUIDE1.pdf |archivedate=March 26, 2009 |accessdate=May 2, 2010 |url-status=dead }} During the 1929 football season, Amos shared the head coach title with Ray Ride, who resigned after the season citing it being impossible to operate under dual authority.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19300203&id=GsoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DEsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6393,1011508&hl=en|title = The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search}} From 1937 through 1946, he was a multi-sport coach at Washington High School. He was a driving force in the creation of PONY Baseball and Softball. He also volunteered at the Brownson House.

In 1932, Amos was seriously injured in an automobile collision, sustaining a fractured skull and broken left arm.{{cite news | title =Bill Amos Hurt in Auto Crash | newspaper =The Pittsburgh Press | date =March 24, 1932 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4nAbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VUsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3496,4579359 | accessdate = August 15, 2013}}

He married Dora Polan in 1928 and with her had three children.{{cite news | last =Smialek | first =Byron | title =Friends, Admirers to Escort Bill Amos Down Golden Path | newspaper =Observer-Reporter | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OvNdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z18NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1725,2549050|date = May 16, 1980 | accessdate = August 15, 2013}}{{cite news | title =Testimonial Will Honor Bill Amos | newspaper =Observer-Reporter | date =May 1, 1980 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LfNdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z18NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3039,113238 | accessdate =August 15, 2013 }} Amos died in 1987 at the age of 88.{{cite news | last =Smialek | first =Byron | title =Bill Amos Was City's Last Link With Past | newspaper =Observer-Reporter | date =May 3, 1987 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zbBdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1V0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5886,596694 | accessdate = August 15, 2013}} Dora died the following year.{{cite news | title =Dora Amos | newspaper =The Pittsburgh Press | date =March 14, 1988 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U94cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UmMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4962,8149760 | accessdate =August 15, 2013 }}