Shorty McWilliams
{{Short description|American football player (1926–1997)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Shorty McWilliams
| image = Tom McWilliams - 1951 Bowman.jpg
| caption = McWilliams on a 1951 Bowman football card
| number = 92, 44
| position = Defensive back / Halfback
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|5|12}}
| birth_place = Newton, Mississippi, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|1|9|1926|5|12}}
| death_place = Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lbs = 185
| high_school = Meridian (MS)
| college = Mississippi State
| draftyear = 1948
| draftround = 8
| draftpick = 62
| pastteams =
- Los Angeles Dons (1949)
- Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1950}})
| highlights =
- National champion (1945)
- First-team All-American (1945)
- Second-team All-American (1944)
- SEC Player of the Year (1944)
- 4× First-Team All-SEC (1944, 1946, 1947, 1948)
| statleague = NFL/AAFC
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 = 54
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 = 4.2
| statlabel3 = Interceptions
| statvalue3 = 4
| pfr = M/McWiSh20
}}
Thomas Edward "Shorty" McWilliams (May 12, 1926 – January 9, 1997) was an American football player who played one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the eighth round of the 1948 NFL draft and the Los Angeles Dons in the 16th round of the 1948 AAFC Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State University and the United States Military Academy.
Early life and college
McWilliams attended Meridian High School in Meridian, Mississippi.
McWilliams first played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs of Mississippi State University in 1944 and again from 1946 to 1948. He recorded career totals of 1,808 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns for the Bulldogs. In 1944, he was an Associated Press Second Team All-American, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and ranked tenth in the Heisman Trophy vote.{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/sec-poy.html | title=SEC Player of the Year Winners | publisher=Sports Reference LLC | work=sports-reference.com | access-date=July 20, 2017}} McWilliams was a First Team All-SEC selection all four years he played for the Bulldogs.{{cite web|url=http://msfame.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/thomas-e-shorty-mcwilliams/ |title=THOMAS E. "SHORTY" MCWILLIAMS |publisher=msfame.com |access-date=December 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210020112/http://msfame.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/thomas-e-shorty-mcwilliams/ |archive-date=December 10, 2014 }}{{cite web | url=http://msstate_ftp.sidearmsports.com/pdf/fb/fb_16mg.pdf | title=Mississippi State Football 2016 Media Guide | publisher=msstate_ftp.sidearmsports.com | access-date=July 20, 2017 | archive-date=September 15, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915045326/http://msstate_ftp.sidearmsports.com/pdf/fb/fb_16mg.pdf | url-status=dead }} He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1963 and the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame in 1970. In 2014, McWilliams became the sixth Bulldog to be inducted into the Mississippi State Ring of Honor.{{cite web|url=http://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=209740453 |title=SHORTY MCWILLIAMS TO JOIN MSU RING OF HONOR |publisher=hailstate.com |date=October 30, 2014 |access-date=December 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210025956/http://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=209740453 |archive-date=December 10, 2014 }}
McWilliams played for the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy in 1945. He was ranked eighth in the Heisman Trophy vote, while the Black Knights finished 9–0 and were named consensus national champions.
Professional career
McWilliams was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 62nd pick in the 1948 NFL draft.{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/mcwi00400.html | title=TOM MCWILLIAMS | publisher=profootballarchives.com | access-date=December 9, 2014 | archive-date=February 9, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209215400/http://www.profootballarchives.com/mcwi00400.html | url-status=dead }}
McWilliams was drafted by the Los Angeles Dons with the 101st pick in the 1948 AAFC Draft. He played in 11 games for the Dons in 1949, starting two.
McWilliams was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1950 AAFC dispersal draft. He played in ten games for the Steelers in 1950. His career was shortened by a knee injury.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/11/sports/shorty-mcwilliams-70-a-star-in-army-backfield.html | title=Shorty McWilliams, 70, a Star in Army Backfield | work=New York Times | date=January 11, 1997 | access-date=December 9, 2014 | author=Litsky, Frank}}
Personal life
McWilliams had four daughters and was married to Gloria Weidmann. McWilliams's brother, Billy, played football at Meridian High and LSU.{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15417562/clarionledger/ | title=Highlights in Sports | agency=September 26, 1947 | access-date=November 27, 2017 | author=Hederman, Arnold | pages=8}} Shorty became owner of Weidmann's Restaurant in Meridian, Mississippi in 1955.{{cite news | url=http://www.weidmanns1870.com/about-us/ | title=About Us | work=weidmanns1870.com | access-date=December 9, 2014}} He was also a Korean War veteran.
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference Football Player of the Year navbox}}
{{1945 Army Cadets football navbox}}
{{Bears1948DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McWilliams, Shorty}}
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:American football halfbacks
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Mississippi State Bulldogs football players
Category:Army Black Knights football players
Category:Los Angeles Dons players
Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players
Category:Players of American football from Mississippi