Bill Groman facts for kids
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| No. 89 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
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| Born: | July 17, 1936 Tiffin, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: | June 17, 2020 (aged 83) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Tiffin (OH) Columbian | ||||||||||
| College: | Heidelberg | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1960 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
William Frederick Groman (born July 17, 1936 – died June 17, 2020) was an amazing American football player. He played as a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL). Bill Groman played college football at Heidelberg College. He then became a professional player for the Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1962.
He also played for the Denver Broncos in 1963. Later, he joined the Buffalo Bills from 1964 to 1965. In his six years as a professional football player, Bill Groman achieved something special. He played on four AFL championship teams. No other player has ever done that!
Contents
Early Life and College Sports
Bill Groman went to Heidelberg University. He earned a bachelor's degree there. He was a talented athlete, playing three different sports in college. Football was one of them.
After college in 1958, Bill didn't plan to become a professional football player. He started working as a science teacher for eighth graders. One day, a fellow teacher and her husband, Bob Snyder, invited him to lunch. Bob Snyder was a former coach in the NFL.
Bob Snyder saw how talented Bill was at catching a football. He called a former teammate from Notre Dame. This teammate, Lou Rymkus, had just become the head coach for the Houston Oilers. This call changed Bill's path to professional football.
A Star Rookie Season
Bill Groman started his professional career with a huge impact. His rookie year was unlike any other receiver's. In his very first game, which was also the first game for the Oilers, he caught six passes. He gained 115 yards and scored one touchdown. The Oilers won that game 37–22 against the Oakland Raiders.
During his rookie season, Bill played in 13 out of 14 games. He caught 72 passes for an amazing 1,473 yards. He also scored 12 touchdowns. In the AFL championship game on January 1, 1961, he caught three passes. One of his touchdowns in that game helped the Oilers win 24–16 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bill Groman still holds the record for the most receiving yards in a rookie season. He gained 1,473 yards in 1960. Back then, a season had 14 games. He was even chosen for the first Sporting News AFL All-League Team. Bill and his teammate Charlie Hennigan were known as "The Long-Distance Twins." Bill was very fast because he was also a track star in college.
Later Career and Championships
In his second year, Bill continued to play well. He caught 50 passes for 1,175 yards. He scored a league-high 17 touchdowns that season. In the AFL championship game that year, he caught three passes. However, his career was affected by an injury in that game. He hurt his knee during a tackle.
After this injury, Bill played with two torn knee ligaments. He was still a good player, but he wasn't quite the same. He played for the Denver Broncos in 1963. Then, he moved to the Buffalo Bills for the 1964 and 1965 seasons. The Bills won two AFL titles during his time there.
Over his six-year career, Bill Groman had 3,481 receiving yards. He scored 36 touchdowns and caught 174 passes. His 29 touchdowns in his first two seasons are the most by any receiver.
After Football
Bill Groman retired from playing football after the 1966 season. He became a stockbroker for a while. But he didn't stay away from football for long. He started working as a scout for the Cincinnati Bengals on weekends.
Later, he scouted for other teams too. He even worked as a director for two teams in the United States Football League. He spent most of his scouting time with the Atlanta Falcons. He was very proud of recommending Jamal Anderson to the team.
Bill retired from scouting in 2003. He passed away on June 17, 2020, at the age of 83. Even though he didn't play long enough to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his shoes from his record-breaking rookie season are on display there.
See also
- Other American Football League players
