Bill Ellenbogen
{{Short description|American football player (born 1950)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image =
| position = Guard / Offensive tackle
| number = 65
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|12|8}}
| birth_place = Glen Cove, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| undraftedyear = 1973
| college = Buffalo (1969–1970)
Virginia Tech (1971–1972)
| teams =
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{nfly|1973}})*
- Albany Metro Mallers (1973)
- Houston Oilers ({{NFL Year|1974}})*
- Philadelphia Bell (1974)
- Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1975}})*
- Shreveport Steamer (1975)
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1976}}–{{NFL Year|1977}})
- Toronto Argonauts ({{cfly|1978}})
- Ottawa Rough Riders ({{cfly|1979}})*
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{cfly|1979}})
- Atlanta Falcons ({{nfly|1980}})*
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 23
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 2
}}
William A. Ellenbogen (born December 8, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1976 and 1977 seasons. He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls (1969–1970) and Virginia Tech (1971–1972). He also played professionally in the Seaboard Football League (1973), World Football League (1974–1975) and Canadian Football League (1978–1979).
Early years
College football
Ellenbogen played college football for the Buffalo Bulls football. He was a member of the 1969 and 1970 Buffalo Bulls teams that compiled records of 6–3 and 2–9 under head coach Bob Deming. He played at offensive tackle in 1969 and was moved to defensive end in 1970.{{cite news|title=Ellenbogen Aids Buffalo Frosh's Second Victory|newspaper=The Standard-Star|date=October 3, 1968|page=40|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-star-ellenbogen/140330637/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Deming Still Making Moves|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=April 22, 1970|page=78|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-deming/140331093/|via=Newspapers.com}} When the University at Buffalo terminated its football program after the 1970 season, Ellenbogen transferred to Virginia Tech where he played at the defensive tackle position for the 1971 and 1972 teams that compiled records of 4–7 and 6–4–1 under head coach Charlie Coffey.{{cite news|title=Former Buffalo Star Turns Tiger at Tech|newspaper=The World-News|date=October 4, 1972|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-world-news-ellenbogen/140326633/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Professional football
In 1973, Ellenbogen signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. During the 1973 preseson, the Chiefs used Ellenbogen as an offensive lineman.{{cite news|title=Pounds on, Not Off Rookie Chance|newspaper=The Kansas City Star|author=Bill Richardson|date=August 10, 1973|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-ellenbogen/140326197/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Tale of UB Gridder's Trail to Pros|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=August 17, 1973|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-tale-of-ub-gridders-tr/140332449/|via=Newspapers.com}} He was waived by the Chiefs in early September 1973, prior to the start of the regular season.{{cite news|title=Chiefs' Notes|newspaper=The Kansas City Times|date=September 6, 1973|page=1D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-times-chiefs-notes/140332815/|via=Newspapers.com}} After being waived by the Chiefs, he played semi-professionally for the Albany Metro Mallers of the Seaboard Football League as a defensive lineman, receiving $25 per game.{{cite book|pages=158–165|author=Miller, Stuart|date=2005|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|title=Where Have All Our Giants Gone?|isbn=1-58979-266-1}}
Ellenbogen was signed by the Houston Oilers in 1974. He also was selected by the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League (WFL). He requested a release from the Oilers to join the Bell and played with them that season. He spent time with the Washington Redskins in 1975 but did not make the final roster, later returning to the WFL to play with the Shreveport Steamer before the league folded.{{cite news|title=To Ellenbogen, Pro Football Is Fun|newspaper=The Shreveport Times|date=September 28, 1975|page=4D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-to-ellenbogen-pro-football-is/140338701/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Ellenbogen played on the offensive line for the New York Giants during the 1976 and 1977 seasons when the clubs compiled records of 3–11 and 5–9. He appeared in 23 games for the Giants, two of them as a starter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/23/archives/another-shot-at-never-land-for-ellenbogen-giants-giving-another.html|title = Another Shot at 'Never Land' for Ellenbogen|newspaper = The New York Times|date = September 23, 1976}}{{cite news|title='Play Hard, Hope It Works Out'|newspaper=The Buffalo News|author=Jack Etkin|date=November 4, 1978|page=47|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-ellenbogen/140325850/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Ellenbogen was cut by the Giants prior to the 1978 season and signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He played for the Argonauts for a portion of the 1978 season.{{cite web|title=All-Time CFL Player Roster|publisher=cflapedia.com|date=February 5, 2024|url=https://www.cflapedia.com/players.php}} As his playing career came to an end, The Buffalo News in November 1978 summarized his career as follows: "Pro football has been a bumpy road for Ellenbogen. He was never drafted and did not receive a cent of bonus money with his initial contract. A football nomad, he has played for eight teams in three leagues."
Ellenbogen had tryouts with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in June and July 1979.{{cite news|title=Riders break camp and, none too soon|newspaper=The Citizen|date=June 16, 1979|page=23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-riders-break-camp/140337222/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-ellenbogen/140337527/ | title=Ellenbogen | newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen | date=July 14, 1979 | page=23 }} He played three games for the Blue Bombers in the 1979 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/football/stats/p-ellenbil001|website=StatsCrew.com|title=William Ellenbogen football statistics}} He also attempted a comeback with the Atlanta Falcons in 1980, but he was cut by the club in mid-August.{{cite news|title=NFL Clubs Trim Rosters|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal|date=August 19, 1980|page=2D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-ellenbogen/140336485/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Later years
After his football career ended, Ellenbogen operated a bar in Blacksburg, Virginia, known as Bogen's.{{cite news|title=Cyberbar in Esquire|newspaper=Roanoke Times|date=January 29, 1996|page=C5|url=https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1996/rt9601/960129/01290057.htm}} He was also a developer involved in other business projects in Blacksburg.{{cite news|title=A trail of goodwill: Developer looks back at his contribution to Montgomery County|newspaper=The Roanoke Times|date=January 16, 2021|url=https://roanoke.com/news/local/a-trail-of-goodwill-developer-looks-back-at-his-contribution-to-montgomery-county/article_6e004378-5773-11eb-9c73-ff8a8b8bde20.html}}
Ellenbogen's daughter, Courtney Ellenbogen, was an amateur golfer at Duke.{{cite news|title=Ellenbogen making a devil of a comeback|publisher=Golfweek|date=January 22, 2010|url=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2010/01/22/ellenbogen-making-devil-comeback/}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellenbogen, Bill}}
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Buffalo Bulls football players
Category:Virginia Tech Hokies football players
Category:New York Giants players
Category:Sportspeople from Glen Cove, New York
Category:Players of American football from Nassau County, New York