Bill Paschal
{{Short description|American football player (1921–2003)}}
{{distinguish|Bill Paschall}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Bill Paschal
| image = Paschal-Bill-1947.jpg
| number = 8, 38
| position = Fullback
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|5|28}}
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|5|25|1921|5|28}}
| death_place = Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 201
| high_school = Tech (Atlanta, Georgia)
| college = Georgia Tech
| undraftedyear = 1943
| pastteams =
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1943|1947}})
- Boston Yanks (1947–{{NFL Year|1948}})
| highlights =
- First-team All-Pro (1944)
- 2x NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1943, 1944)
- 2× NFL rushing yards leader (1943, 1944)
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 = 2,430
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 = 3.6
| statlabel3 = Receptions
| statvalue3 = 32
| statlabel4 = Receiving yards
| statvalue4 = 326
| statlabel5 = Total touchdowns
| statvalue5 = 36
| pfr = PascBi20
}}
William Avner Paschal Jr. (May 28, 1921 – May 25, 2003) was an American football fullback in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Boston Yanks.
Early life
Paschal was born in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Tech High School, where he played football and track.{{cite news | work=New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/29/sports/bill-paschal-81-an-nfl-rushing-leader.html | title=Bill Paschal, 81, an N.F.L. Rushing Leader | accessdate=2008-11-14 | date=May 29, 2003}} He then played briefly at Georgia Tech before injuring his knee. After the injury, he left school and went to work as a railroad switchman in Georgia.
Professional career
After his knee healed, Paschal got a tryout with the New York Giants on the recommendation of the sportswriter Grantland Rice and eventually signed with New York in 1943 for $1,500. He became the first player to win consecutive rushing championships in the NFL, gaining 572 yards on 147 carries in his rookie year and 737 yards on 196 rushes in his second year. He also led the league in rushing touchdowns both years, with ten in 1943 and nine in 1944.
Paschal was then traded to the Boston Yanks during the 1947 season and played through 1948, before retiring. He gained 2,430 yards with 28 rushing touchdowns for his career.
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |
| colspan="2"| Legend |
|---|
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league |
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Receiving | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 1943 | NYG
| 9 || 3 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 147 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 572 || 3.9 || 54 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 10 || 9 || 74 || 8.2 || 24 || 2 | |||||||||||
| 1944 | NYG
| 10 || 6 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 196 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 737 || 3.8 || 68 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 9 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1945 | NYG
| 4 || 1 || 59 || 247 || 4.2 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| 77 || 2 || 2 || 11 || 5.5 || 6 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1946 | NYG
| 10 || 1 || 117 || 362 || 3.1 || 30 || 4 || 9 || 78 || 8.7 || 35 || 2 | |||||||||||
| rowspan="2" | 1947 | NYG
| 4 || 0 || 41 || 139 || 3.4 || 23 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 3.0 || 3 || 0 | |||||||||||
| BOS
| 8 || 4 || 37 || 124 || 3.4 || - || 1 || 3 || 67 || 22.3 || 30 || 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1948 | BOS
| 12 || 6 || 80 || 249 || 3.1 || 20 || 1 || 8 || 93 || 11.6 || 22 || 4 | |||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 57 | 21 | 677 | 2,430 | 3.6 | 77 | 28 | 32 | 326 | 10.2 | 35 | 8 |
=Playoffs=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Receiving | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 1943 | NYG
| 1 || 0 || 16 || 56 || 3.5 || 16 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1944 | NYG
| 1 || 0 || 2 || 3 || 1.5 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 2 | 0 | 18 | 59 | 3.3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Personal life
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|7501199}}
{{NFL rushing yards leaders}}
{{NFL rushing touchdowns leaders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paschal, Bill}}
Category:American football fullbacks
Category:American football halfbacks
Category:First Air Force Aces football players
Category:Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players