Bill Enyart

Bill Enyart
No. 41, 46
Position: Running back / linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1946-04-28)April 28, 1946
Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Died: February 10, 2015(2015-02-10) (aged 67)
Turner, Oregon
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight: 235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school: Medford (OR)
College: Oregon State
NFL Draft: 1969 / Round: 2 / Pick: 27
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

William "Bill" "Earthquake" Donald Enyart (April 28, 1947 – February 10, 2015) was an American football player who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1969–1970 and for the Oakland Raiders in 1971.

Early life

Born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Enyart grew up in Medford, Oregon and was a standout prep athlete at Medford High School. In his three seasons playing varsity football, the "Black Tornado" compiled a 26-3-1 record and an A-1 state title in his sophomore season (1962); he graduated from MHS in 1965.

College career

Enyart played college football for the Oregon State Beavers under head coach Dee Andros. He earned first team All-Pac-8 Conference honors in 1967 and 1968 and first team All-American honors in 1968.[1] After spending his freshman year on the "Rook" team, Enyart played linebacker as a sophomore in 1966, and was the starting fullback for the famed OSU Giant Killers of 1967.

In his senior season in 1968, Enyart set a school record with 1,304 yards rushing, while scoring 17 touchdowns, for a total of 102 points.[1] Against Utah, he carried the ball 50 times for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns, setting single game school records in both categories. He also tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns against Kentucky.[2]

In the three seasons Enyart lettered, the Beavers posted an overall record of 21–8–1 (.717). He was chosen to play in five post-season All-Star games: East-West Shrine Game, Senior Bowl, Coaches All-America Game, College All-Star Game, and the Hula Bowl, where he was named the outstanding back. During his career at Oregon State, he rushed for 2,155 yards, seventh-most ever by a Beaver.[2]

Professional career

Enyart was selected early in the second round of the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft (27th overall) by the Buffalo Bills, and played in every game in 1969 and 1970. The following year, Enyart was traded to the Oakland Raiders and played one game before a career-ending injury.

Legacy

Enyart was inducted into the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. In May 2011, he was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.[3] He eventually settled back in Oregon at Bend to raise his two children. He worked as a Medicaid case worker for the State of Oregon until he retired. He died of cancer at age 67 in Turner on February 10, 2015.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ex-Beaver Enyart Enters Hall of Fame," The Oregonian, July 22, 2012, pg. C3.
  2. 1 2 "RIP Bill Enyart: Beaver Nation loses one of its best". Oregon Stater. Spring 2015.
  3. ↑ "College Football Hall tabs Class of 2011". ESPN. Associated Press. May 17, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ Oregon Live,, report on death
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