Before the advent of specialization in football, it was common for a player to play on both sides of the ball – offense and defense – and sometimes even to be a triple threat by kicking or returning kicks. “Bullet” Bill Dudley of the University of Virginia was just such a player, and as his son-in-law concludes in Dudley’s biography, Bill was possibly the most talented 60-minute man to ever suit up. In his final college game in 1941, he was on the field for 113 plays. He once played eight different positions in a single game, and his exceptional multiple talents were a continued theme during his professional career. In 1946, when he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, Dudley led the league in rushing, punt returns, interceptions, and the unusual statistical category of lateral passes.
Here’s an excerpt from Bullet Bill Dudley:
“Nobody had seen anything like this one-man backfield. Each home game that year set an attendance record, beating the previous week by about 2,000 paying customers.
“They were coming to see something unique in football. Sure, there were triple threats and there were versatile ballplayers, but Bill was playing fifty minutes or more per game. He rushed. He passed. He caught passes. He kicked and punted. He returned kicks and punts. He kicked extra points. He led the [National Football League] in interceptions. He was playing the modern equivalent of eight players on offense, defense, and special teams. Bill was the league standout.”
