Bill Staley
{{Short description|American football player (born 1946)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Bill Staley
| image = Bill Staley 1969.jpg
| caption =
| number = 76
| position = Defensive end
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|9|9}}
| birth_place = Walnut Creek, California, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| high_school =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lbs = 250
| college = Utah State
| draftyear = 1968
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 1
| pastteams =
- Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1968}}–{{NFL Year|1969}})
- Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1970}}–{{NFL Year|1972}})
| highlights =
- First-team All-American (1967)
| statlabel1 = Fumbles
| statvalue1 = 2
| pfr = S/StalBi20
}}
William Patrick Staley (born September 9, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for five years in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played a total of 49 games, including two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and three with the Chicago Bears{{Cite web |url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/stal00400.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230233817/http://www.profootballarchives.com/stal00400.html |archive-date=2014-12-30 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.cincyjungle.com/veteransofcincinnati/2014/5/18/5728442/bill-staley-struggles-brain-shoulder-knee-nfl-compensation|title = Like many, Staley struggles in post-NFL life|date = 18 May 2014}}
College career
Staley played defensive end at Utah State.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cincyjungle.com/veteransofcincinnati/2014/5/18/5728442/bill-staley-struggles-brain-shoulder-knee-nfl-compensation|title = Like many, Staley struggles in post-NFL life|date = 18 May 2014}} The 25 most highly drafted football players from Utah State.{{Cite web |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/top/2468/20/Bill-Staley-The-25-most-highly-drafted-football-players-from-Utah-State.html |title=Bill Staley | the 25 most highly drafted football players from Utah State |website=Deseret News |access-date=2014-12-30 |archive-date=2014-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231000258/http://www.deseretnews.com/top/2468/20/Bill-Staley-The-25-most-highly-drafted-football-players-from-Utah-State.html |url-status=dead }}
Beban heads list for Heisman Trophy Title and Staley was among the top 10 which included Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19670902&id=Y24eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mskEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2075,324126|title=Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search}}
While at Utah, Staley was Playboy 1967 All-American Defense{{cite web|url=http://www.fanbase.com/Bill-Staley/photo/276999?n%3D3 |title=Playboy 1967 All-American Defense.JPG - Wayne Owen | Fanbase |access-date=2015-12-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230233250/http://www.fanbase.com/Bill-Staley/photo/276999?n=3 |archive-date=2014-12-30 }}
Staley played 49 games (21 starts) for the Bengals And the Chicago Bears over five seasons on the defensive line.{{Cite web|url=http://jmoneysports.com/2014/05/03/a-look-at-the-highest-drafted-players-from-utah-state/|title = A look at the NFL players from Utah State who were the most highly drafted|date = 4 May 2014}}
During the second to last game at Utah state Staley suffered a shoulder separation{{Cite web|url=http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2014/05/17/bengals-staley/9230903/|title = Bengals' second pick: 'My brain is not working'}}
Utah State inducted Staley in the Hall of Fame class of 1995{{Cite web |url=http://www.utahstateaggies.com/halloffame.html |title=Utah State Aggies Official Athletic Site - Utah State University |access-date=2014-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026050609/http://www.utahstateaggies.com/halloffame.html |archive-date=2014-10-26 |url-status=dead }}
Professional career
Staley was selected in the second round of the 1968 NFL draft. He has the distinction of being the second-pick ever by the Cincinnati Bengals franchise.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cin/draft.htm|title = Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Draft History| website=Pro-Football-Reference.com }}
Staley played under Paul Brown who founded the Cincinnati Bengals. In 1970, the Bengals traded Staley, along with linebacker Harry Gunner, to the Chicago Bears for tackle Rufus Mayes. Staley retired after spending three years with the Bears.
Life after Football
Staley lives on a farm in California with his wife with chronic headaches, a crippled body, and the beginning of dementia.{{Cite web|url=http://wrbiradio.com/bill-staley/|title=Bill Staley}} Staley has Traumatic Brain Injury sustained from playing in the NFL. He wears a whistle around his neck to blow to end the anger like the NFL referees when he has outbursts.{{cite web|url=http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/ravens-talk/original-bengal-has-rough-go-retirement |title=Original Bengal has rough go in retirement | Comcast SportsNet Baltimore |access-date=2015-12-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231022516/http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/ravens-talk/original-bengal-has-rough-go-retirement |archive-date=2014-12-31 }}
Staley became deeply religious after his football career, in the 1980s becoming an anti-abortion activist. At one event outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Ukiah, California in December 1988, Earth First! activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney confronted him with a deliberately offensive parody of Will the Circle Be Unbroken?, "Will the Fetus Be Aborted?" A few days after the car bombing attempt on Bari's life on May 24, 1990, a letter from someone identifying himself as "The Lord's Avenger," claiming credit for the bombing, was mailed to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. [https://web.archive.org/web/20161220074728/http://theava.com/bari/avenger.html The letter] briefly cast suspicion on Staley as the author due to the notoriety of the Planned Parenthood incident. It was soon determined that the letter was a hoax from Bari's assailant designed to cast suspicion on Staley, capitalizing on the notoriety of the Planned Parenthood incident. Staley was cleared as a suspect in the bombing.{{cite journal|author=Anderson, Bruce|title=Who Bombed Judi Bari?|volume=Anderson Valley Advertiser, January 19, 2000|url=http://theava.com/00/01-19-talbot.html|access-date=August 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412025312/http://www.theava.com/00/01-19-talbot.html|archive-date=April 12, 2016|url-status=dead}}
Personal life
Staley married his wife Nona and they have two children.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2014/05/17/bengals-staley/9230903/|title = Bengals' second pick: 'My brain is not working'}}
He also has a daughter - Shannon Staley.
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Bengals1968DraftPicks}}
{{1968 Cincinnati Bengals}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staley, Bill}}
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:American Football League players
Category:Cincinnati Bengals players
Category:Players of American football from Walnut Creek, California