William Ernest Hewitt (October 8, 1909 – January 14, 1947) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

and

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

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). He played five seasons for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

(1932–1936), three for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

(1937–1939), and one for the Phil-Pitt Steagles (1943). He is remembered for his refusal to wear a

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

as one of the last NFL players not to wear one.Lyons, 2010, p. 70. Hewitt 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 ...

for the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...

, where he was named team's

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

and first-team All-

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

his senior season. In nine NFL seasons, he was named an

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...

six times, won two

NFL championship Throughout its history, the National Football League (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national c ...

s, and in 1934 led the league in touchdown receptions. His jersey number 56 is

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

by the Bears and he is a member of the

Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. Hewitt was posthumously inducted into the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

in 1971.

Early life and college

Hewitt was born in

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metropol ...

and attended

Bay City Central High School Bay City Central High School (BCC) is a high school located at 1624 Columbus Avenue, Bay City, Michigan, United States, and a part of Bay City Public Schools. Its mascot is the wolf, and its colors are purple and gold. Building history The build ...

. He attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, where he lettered for three seasons for the

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...

team. He started in two games each in 1929 and 1930, and in 1931 was a first-team All-

selection from the

United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...

, as well as the Wolverines' team

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

. That season, he started four games at left

and five games at fullback, and had 446 yards rushing on 118 attempts. Against

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, he scored the only touchdown of the game on a 57-yard run to help Michigan secure that year's Little Brown Jug trophy with a 6–0 win.

Professional career

His head coach in Chicago,

George Halas George Stanley Halas Sr. (; February 2, 1895October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an American professional football player, coach, and team owner. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League's Chic ...

, called Hewitt "absolutely fearless. He was a happy-go-lucky guy—until he stepped onto the field—and then he was a terror on offense or defense. He asked no quarter nor gave any." For most of his career, Hewitt refused to wear a helmet during games, reasoning that wearing one inhibited his play. He played without one until 1939, his final season with the Eagles, due to new league rules requiring players to wear a helmet. On defense, Hewitt was known for his quick reaction to the snap, which led fans to refer to him as "The Offside Kid." "I just anticipate when the ball is going to be snapped and charge at the same time", explained Hewitt. "Anyway, what is the

head linesman In gridiron football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. During professional and most college football games, seven officials operate on the field. Since 2015, Division ...

for? It's up to him to call offside if he thinks I am."

Chicago Bears

Hewitt played for the

for five seasons, from 1932 to 1936. As a rookie, he played in the 1932 NFL Playoff Game for the Bears against the

Portsmouth Spartans The professional American football team now known as the Detroit Lions previously played in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans, from its founding in 1928 to its relocation to Detroit in 1934. Originally drawing players from defunct indepe ...

, which was held to break a tie that season for the

. The Bears defeated the Spartans 9–0. The next season the Bears played in the first ever NFL Championship Game, against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

. Hewitt had only one reception for three yards in the game, but was a part of what was described as "the greatest play of the game." In the fourth quarter, with the Bears trailing by five, Hewitt received a pass from Bears quarterback

Keith Molesworth Keith Frank Molesworth (October 20, 1905 – March 12, 1966) was an American football player and coach. He also played and managed in minor league baseball. Early life Molesworth was born in Washington, Iowa and graduated from Washington High ...

, before lateraling to end

Bill Karr William Morrison Karr Jr. (November 29, 1911 – October 29, 1979) was an American football end who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears from 1933 to 1938. He twice led the NFL in receiving touchdowns an ...

, who then ran 19 yards for the final touchdown of the game. The Bears won the game 23–21. Hewitt led the league in receiving touchdowns in 1934, with five, and was named a first-team All-NFL selection for the third time in as many years. In 1935 Hewitt caught five passes and was without a touchdown for the first time in his career. He had his most productive season as a pro in both receiving yards and touchdowns in 1936, as he caught 15 passes for 358 yards and six touchdowns.

Philadelphia Eagles

After considering retirement, Hewitt was traded to the

with $4,000 in cash from the Bears in exchange for the rights to the first overall selection in the

1937 NFL Draft The 1937 National Football League Draft was the second draft held by the National Football League (NFL). The draft took place December 12, 1936, at the Hotel Lincoln in New York City. The draft consisted of 10 rounds, with 100 player selections, ...

Sam Francis Samuel Lewis Francis (June 25, 1923 – November 4, 1994) was an American painter and printmaker. Early life Sam Francis was born in San Mateo, California,

, on February 15, 1937. Hewitt's game salary increased from $100 per game to $200 per game following the trade. He played for the Eagles for three seasons from 1937 to 1939. He was named to the All-NFL team in 1937, becoming the first player in league history to be named an All-Pro for two different teams. He had his second All-NFL selection as an Eagle in 1938 after catching a career-high 18 passes on the season. In November 1939, Eagles president

Bert Bell De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 – October 11, 1959) was the National Football League (NFL) commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he introduced competitive parity into the NFL to improve the league's comme ...

announced Hewitt would be retiring at the end of the season after eight years in the NFL. In his final home game with the Eagles, against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

, he was the middle man of a 66-yard play as he received a 26-yard pass from

Davey O'Brien Robert David O'Brien (June 22, 1917 – November 18, 1977) was an American football quarterback. He played college football at Texas Christian University (TCU) and professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagle ...

and lateraled to Jay Arnold, who ran 40 yards for the touchdown. They won 17–14—their first and only win that season.

Steagles and retirement

After being out of football for three seasons, Hewitt returned in 1943 to play fullback for the

Steagles The Steagles were the team created by the temporary merger of Pennsylvania's two National Football League (NFL) teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season. The two franchises were compelled to field a sin ...

, a temporary merger of the Eagles and

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 ...

during World War II. He appeared in six games that season, started in four of them, and caught two passes for 22 yards, after which he retired for good. During his career he caught 103 passes for 1,638 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown and three passing touchdowns. He was named an All-Pro by at least one major U.S. publication six times in his career.

After football

After retiring from professional football in 1943, Hewitt worked for Supplee-Wills-Jones, a milk company, until September 1946. He died in a car crash on January 14, 1947 in

Sellersville, Pennsylvania Sellersville is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 4,249 at the 2010 census. It is in the Pennridge School District. History Sellersville was founded in the early 18th century. It was centered on a major road known as B ...

and was interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in

Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania Cheltenham Township is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cheltenham's population density ranges from over 10,000 per square mile (25,900 per squa ...

. Hewitt was inducted into the

in 1971. With his induction, the Bears became the first NFL team to have a complete one-platoon lineup in the Hall of Fame. In 2008 Hewitt was named to the

University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs.

. He is a member of the

National Football League 1930s All-Decade Team This is a list of all NFL players who had outstanding performances throughout the 1930s and have been compiled together into this fantasy group. The team was selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame retroactively in 1969 to mark the lea ...

, selected in 1969 by the Hall of Fame. Hewitt's jersey number 56 is

by the Bears, and he is enshrined in the

References

Sources

* Lyons, Robert S. (2010). ''On Any Given Sunday, A Life of Bert Bell''. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

External links

Bill Hewitt
at the

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hewitt, Bill 1909 births 1947 deaths American football ends American football fullbacks Burials at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Chicago Bears players Michigan Wolverines football players Philadelphia Eagles players Steagles players and personnel Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Sportspeople from Bay City, Michigan Players of American football from Michigan Road incident deaths in Pennsylvania National Football League players with retired numbers