Bill Roe (American football) facts for kids

William Oliver Roe II (born February 6, 1958 – died September 13, 2003) was an amazing American football player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for teams like the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. Bill also played in another league called the United States Football League (USFL) for the Boston Breakers, Memphis Showboats, and Birmingham Stallions. Before turning pro, he showed off his skills playing college football at the University of Colorado.

Bill Roe's Early Life & Sports

Bill Roe went to Thornwood High School. There, he was a talented athlete who played many sports. He was active in football, basketball, baseball, and track.

College Football at Colorado

Bill earned a special football scholarship to the University of Colorado Boulder. He became a starting linebacker during his junior year. He was recognized as an honorable-mention All-Big Eight player. Unfortunately, he missed the last three games that season due to a knee injury.

As a senior, Bill was even better. He was named All-Big Eight after leading his conference in tackles. He made an impressive 162 tackles and also led his team with three interceptions. He had 10 or more tackles in seven different games. Bill was the first player ever to win the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Week award two weeks in a row!

Key College Games

Bill had some standout performances in college. He made 12 tackles and one sack against the University of Kansas. He recorded 18 tackles when playing against the University of Missouri. In a game against the University of Nebraska, he ran back an interception for a 69-yard touchdown. His best game was against Kansas State University, where he made 24 tackles. This was the second-highest number of tackles in his school's history! He also had two interceptions in that game.

Boxing Champion

Besides football, Bill Roe was also a champion in another sport. In 1978, he won the heavyweight boxing championship at his university.

Bill Roe's Pro Football Career

After his impressive college career, Bill Roe moved on to play professional football.

Dallas Cowboys Draft Pick

The Dallas Cowboys picked Bill in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He was the 78th player chosen overall. In his first year, he mostly played on special teams. Special teams are groups of players who play during kickoffs, punts, and field goals.

In 1981, Bill was put on the injured reserve list because of a sprained ankle. He was later released by the Cowboys in 1982.

Playing in the USFL

Bill then joined the United States Football League (USFL). This was another professional football league that existed for a few years.

Boston Breakers

In 1983, Bill signed with the Denver Gold of the USFL. He was then traded to the Boston Breakers. The Breakers made him their starting linebacker.

Memphis Showboats

In 1984, Bill played for the Memphis Showboats as their starting linebacker. Later that year, he was traded to the Birmingham Stallions.

Birmingham Stallions

With the Birmingham Stallions, Bill was a key player on their defense. The Stallions had one of the best defenses in the USFL. He played there until the league stopped operating.

New Orleans Saints & The Strike

In 1987, there was a player strike in the NFL. This meant that many regular players stopped playing. The NFL decided to have games with "replacement players" instead. Bill Roe was signed to play for the New Orleans Saints as a replacement player. The media jokingly called this team the "Saint Elsewheres." Bill started all three games as a linebacker during the strike. After the strike ended, he was released from the team.

Bill Roe's Personal Life

Bill Roe passed away on September 13, 2003.