Bill Stevenson (offensive lineman)
| No. 62 | |
| Born: | June 4, 1951 High Prairie, Alberta, Canada |
|---|---|
| Died: | March 19, 2007 (aged 55) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | OT, G |
| College | Drake |
| NFL draft | 1974, round: 4, pick: 104 |
| Drafted by | Miami Dolphins |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1974–1975 | Memphis Southmen - WFL |
| 1975–1988 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL West All-Star | 1981 |
Bill Stevenson (June 4, 1951 – March 19, 2007) was a Canadian Football League (CFL) player with the Edmonton Eskimos. After playing college football at Drake University, he was drafted by the NFL's Miami Dolphins and played in the World Football League (WFL) with the Memphis Southmen for two seasons, followed by a 14-year CFL career with the Eskimos, the first three as a defensive lineman and the remainder as an offensive lineman. He was named CFL All-Star 2 times and was a part of a CFL record seven Grey Cup championship teams with the Eskimos.
After his playing career ended, Stevenson struggled in his business and personal life, suffered through bankruptcy and divorce, and was forced to take refuge in shelters for the homeless. He died in 2007 in an accident when he slipped and fell backwards down the stairs in his mother's home in Edmonton.[1]
On November 19, 2008, the CBC Television show The Fifth Estate suggested that Stevenson, who went through years of alcohol abuse and destitution, enduring the effects of years of unreported head injuries from playing professional football. Teammates York Hentschel and David Boone are believed to have had the same injuries.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Henton, Darcy (July 3, 2007). "Intercepting ex-Esks who spiral out of control]". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ "Dynasty to death: CBC's Fifth Estate examines head injuries in football". CBC Sports. November 19, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
External links
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- 1951 births
- 2007 deaths
- Accidental deaths from falls
- Accidental deaths in Alberta
- American football offensive linemen
- Canadian football offensive linemen
- Players of American football from Alberta
- Canadian people of British descent
- Drake Bulldogs football players
- Edmonton Elks players
- Memphis Southmen players
- People from Big Lakes County
- Players of Canadian football from Alberta
- Players of Canadian football with chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- 20th-century Canadian sportsmen
- Canadian football offensive lineman stubs
- American football offensive lineman, 1950s birth stubs