Bill Bates
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | June 6, 1961 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Farragut (Knoxville) | ||||||||
| College: | Tennessee | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1983 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| As a coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
William Frederick Bates (born June 6, 1961) is an American former professional
Early years
Bates attended Farragut High School in Farragut, Tennessee, where he played under rising head coach Ken Sparks. He recorded over 1,000 return yards, 14 interceptions, and nearly 200 tackles during his high school career where he was known for his hard hitting tackles.[1]
He helped lead the Admirals to the state semi-finals in 1978, in which the Admirals lost to Red Bank by one point. He was all-state in football and basketball his senior year. He also practiced track and field. He was considered the 4th best high school recruit in the state in football.[1]
College career
Bates played college football at the
On October 20, 1979, Bates recorded 8 tackles, a sack, and 2 fumble recoveries against Alabama, who were ranked number one and would go on to win the national championship that year.[3] At the end of 1979 he was honored by being named to the Freshman All-American team. He also won the team's "hardest hitter" award on several occasions throughout his career. He was named second-team All-SEC as a junior and senior.
During Tennessee's 16–15 loss to eventual national champion Georgia on September 6, 1980, Georgia running back Herschel Walker and Bates met on the 5-yard line in a play that still lives in many college football highlights. Walker ran over Bates to score the first touchdown of his college career.[4][5] The two would later become teammates for several seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.[5]
In 2021, he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Bates went undrafted in the
In
In
In
In
Bates received the team’s
Upon his retirement after the 1997 season, he was considered one of the most beloved Cowboys of all time. Over his 15-year career, he had 14 interceptions and 122 return yards.
Bates earned three Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys, playing in Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX. He was on injured reserve during the 1992 season, when the Cowboys played in Super Bowl XXVII, due to a knee injury.
Tom Landry once said, “If we had 11 players on the field who played as hard as Bill Bates does and did their homework like he does, we’d be almost impossible to beat”.[7] He described Bates (Real Kill) and Cliff Harris (Captain Crash) as "the hardest hitters I ever saw."[8] Referring to Bates' reputation as a hard hitter, John Madden stated, "Every game starts with a kick. With Bill Bates on the field, every game begins with a bang!"[8]
Personal life
After his retirement as a player following the 1997 season, Bill was an assistant coach for the Cowboys for five years under head coaches Chan Gailey and Dave Campo. In 2003, Bill spent a year as special teams coach under head coach and former Cowboy linebacker Jack Del Rio. Beginning in 2004, he coached football at his sons' high schools, Nease High School and Ponte Vedra High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.[9]
In 2005, Bates was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. He was also named to the 100 Year All Tennessee Team. In 2011, Bates was awarded the Tom Landry Legend Award.[9]
Autobiography
- Shoot for the Star (1994), co-authored with Bill Butterworth. ISBN 978-0849911705
References
- ^ a b 1979 Tennessee Volunteers Football Program Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (University of Tennessee, 1979), p. 56. Retrieved: July 3, 2013.
- ^ Tennessee Career Football Statistics Archived October 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, UTSports.com. Retrieved: July 3, 2013.
- ^ 1980 Tennessee Volunteers Football Program Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (University of Tennessee, 1980), p. 38.
- ^ Tim Hix, "Vol Profile: Bill Bates Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine," Tennessee vs. Washington State Football Program (University of Tennessee, 1982), pp. 47–48.
- ^ a b Schlabach, Mark (October 8, 2015). "From The Mag: That time Herschel Walker trucked Bill Bates". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ "Rick Gosselin's all-time NFL Special Teams Unit". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ "ESPN 50 Greatest Dallas Cowboys". Premiere Speakers Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Editorial Review for Shoot for the Star, Amazon.com. Retrieved: July 3, 2013.
- ^ a b "Bill Bates Bio". Premiere Speakers Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
External links
- A Special Teamer Big Hits Have Made Bill Bates a Big Hit With The Cowboy Faithful
- Ranking Best Cowboys Safeties In Franchise History
- Bill Bates was the ultimate free agent for Cowboys
- Dallas Cowboys' Draft Dodgers: Team's All-Time Top 10 Undrafted Players
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