Bill Perkins (American football) facts for kids
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| Position: | Running back | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | January 12, 1941 Jersey City, New Jersey |
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| Died: | February 5, 2016 (aged 75) Teaneck, New Jersey |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Jersey City (NJ) Snyder | ||||
| College: | Iowa | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 1963 / Round: 12 / Pick: 160 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
William Osborne Perkins II (born January 12, 1941 – died February 5, 2016) was an American football player. He was a running back for the New York Jets in the American Football League. Before playing professionally, he played college football at the University of Iowa. After his football career, he became a lawyer and a politician. He served two terms in the New Jersey government.
Early Life and College Football
Bill Perkins went to Henry Snyder High School. There, he played football and ran track. He earned a scholarship to play football at the University of Iowa.
In his junior year, he was a fullback. He ran for 380 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. This was the most yards on his team. His average of 6.1 yards per run was second best in the Big Ten Conference. By the end of college, he had run for 617 yards in total. He scored 2 rushing touchdowns.
Professional Football Career
The Dallas Cowboys chose Perkins in the 12th round of the 1963 NFL Draft. This was the 160th pick overall. However, he was released by the team in September.
Later in September 1963, the New York Jets signed him. He joined their practice team, called the "taxi squad." On November 1, he was moved to the main team. He played as a backup halfback. He also returned kickoffs. The Jets released him in September 1964.
Life After Football
Bill Perkins was the nephew of Don Perkins, who was also a running back in the NFL. Bill Perkins studied law and graduated from Seton Hall Law School in 1968. He was very good with languages. He could speak English, Spanish, Russian, French, and Polish.
In 1970, he opened his own law office. He worked as a lawyer who defended people in court. From 1974 to 1978, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly. This is a part of the New Jersey state government. He represented Bayonne and Jersey City. He was the first African American president of the Hudson County Bar Association.
He also worked as an assistant football coach at Saint Peter's College. In 2001, he became the assistant director for the New Jersey Recreation Department. He worked there until 2010. Bill Perkins passed away on February 5, 2016, in Teaneck. He had four children, including businessman Bill Perkins.
