William Earl Dutton (December 9, 1918 – August 2, 1951) was an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
halfback in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
and was
drafted in the third round of the
1943 NFL Draft
The 1943 National Football League Draft was held on April 8, 1943, at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Detroit Lions selected running back Frank Sinkwich. This draft is the first NFL draf ...
by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
.
Bill Dutton died from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. He died about ten
hours after his convertible upset and sheared a utility pole in suburban Pittsburgh.
"Wild Bill" Dutton was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1943 but went into the
service before he was able to play a down with them. After the War, he was sold
to the Pittsburgh Steelers and played for them in 1946. He was released by the
Steelers on September 22, 1947 and was signed by the NFL's New York Yankees
a month later. He was released by the Yankees on November 8, 1947.
1918 births
1951 deaths
American football halfbacks
Sportspeople from Morgantown, West Virginia
Pittsburgh Panthers football players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Players of American football from West Virginia
Road incident deaths in Pennsylvania
United States Army personnel of World War II
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