Bill Purifoy
| No. 71 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Steel Valley (PA) |
| College: | Tulsa |
| NFL draft: | 1982 / Round: 7 / Pick: 193 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
William Dewitt Purifoy, Sr. (November 15, 1959 – October 14, 2013) was an American football defensive end in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Arizona Wranglers. He played college football at the University of Tulsa.
Early years
Purifoy attended
He enrolled at the New Mexico Military Institute. He transferred to the University of Tulsa after his freshman season. He was named a starter at defensive end as a sophomore. He had 15 tackles (11 solo) against the University of Louisville as a junior.[1]
In 1980, he left school and returned to his hometown in Pittsburgh to work as a
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Purifoy was selected by the
Arizona Wranglers (USFL)
On October 4, 1982, he was signed as a free agent by the Arizona Wranglers of the United States Football League.[4] In 1983, he was placed on the injured reserve list, before being activated on May 8.[5] He played 11 snaps against the Michigan Panthers before re-injuring his right hamstring and being lost for the season.[6]
Personal life
On October 14, 2013, he died of natural causes at UPMC Mercy. For 17 years he was the Fire Chief of the Homestead Volunteer Fire Department. He was a detective with the District Attorney's Vicious Crime and Firearms Task Force.[7]
In the early nineties, he was a community service officer in the Tulsa City police force and then in the Tulsa County sheriff's department. In 1991, he was named Tulsa Deputy of the Year for 1991 after being shot while doing a gang investigation.[8]
References
- ^ "Purifoy Burning". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "1982 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Community says goodbye to beloved Homestead fire chief". 20 October 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Deputy's Departure Strips Gang Unit of Large Asset". Retrieved March 23, 2019.