Billy Vessels
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| Date of birth | March 22, 1931 |
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| Place of birth | Cleveland, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Date of death | November 17, 2001 (aged 70) |
| Place of death | Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| College | Oklahoma |
| NFL draft | 1953 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 |
| Drafted by | Baltimore Colts |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1953 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1956 | Baltimore Colts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards |
1952 Heisman Trophy 1953 - CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award 1953 - Eddie James Memorial Trophy |
| Career stats | |
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Billy Vessels (March 22, 1931 – November 17, 2001) was a gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and won the Heisman Trophy in 1952. Vessels went on to play professional football with the National Football League's Baltimore Colts and the Western Interprovincial Football Union's Edmonton Eskimos.
Vessels led the Oklahoma Sooners to the national championship in 1950, scoring 15 touchdowns. In 1952, he won the Heisman Trophy. Playing under the legendary Bud Wilkinson, he became the first of five Sooners, followed by Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978), Jason White (2003) and Sam Bradford (2008), to win the award. During the 1952 season he rushed for 1072 yards including seven 100 yard performances, and 17 touchdowns. These achievements led to his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. He was also a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity at the University of Oklahoma.
Vessels was the first pick of the Baltimore Colts in the first round of the 1953 NFL Draft, but did not join the Colts following the draft, electing instead to play with the Edmonton Eskimos of the then Western Interprovincial Football Union. During his rookie season in 1953, Vessels led the WIFU, the forerunner of the CFL Western Conference (later changed to Division) in rushing with 926 yards on 129 carries and with eight rushing touchdowns. He caught 20 passes for 310 yards and with one touchdown. Vessels also passed 393 yards on 30 attempts with 18 completions and 4 touchdown passes to having thrown only one interception and while on defence he snagged four interceptions.
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