Billy Joe (American football) facts for kids

William "Billy" Joe (born October 14, 1940) is an American former professional football player and coach. He was a talented running back (a player who runs with the ball) in the American Football League (AFL). After his playing days, he became a very successful college football coach.

Playing Career Highlights

Billy Joe started his professional football journey in 1963. He played for the Denver Broncos in the AFL. In his first year, he was named the AFL Rookie of the Year. This award goes to the best new player in the league.

In 1965, Billy Joe joined the Buffalo Bills. He was traded for another famous player, Cookie Gilchrist. That same year, Billy Joe was chosen for the AFL All-Star Team. He helped the Bills win the AFL Championship against the San Diego Chargers. He also played for the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. With the Jets, he won Super Bowl III in 1969.

Coaching Career Highlights

After his playing career, Billy Joe became a football coach. He started as an assistant coach at Maryland in 1971. This was a big moment because he was the first African-American coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Billy Joe then became a head coach for 33 seasons at different colleges. He coached at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (1972–1978), Central State University (1981–1993), Florida A&M University (1994–2004), and Miles College (2008–2010).

His most successful time was at Central State. His teams won two NAIA National Football Championships in 1990 and 1992. They also made it to the NAIA playoffs many times. At Florida A&M, his teams often played in the Division I-AA (now FCS) playoffs.

Billy Joe also led his teams to win several black college football national championships. Central State won five in a row from 1986 to 1990. Florida A&M won one in 1998. In 2007, he was honored by being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.

Many players coached by Billy Joe went on to play in professional leagues like the NFL and CFL. Some of these players include:

• From Central State University: Vince Buck, Vince Heflin, Erik Williams, and Hugh Douglas.
• From Florida A&M: Jamie Brown, Jamie Nails, Terry Mickens, Dexter Nottage, Wally Williams, Earl Holmes, Robert Wilson, Tony Bland, and Quinn Gray.

Billy Joe later coached at Miles College starting in 2008. He resigned in October 2010 due to health reasons. He finished his college coaching career with an impressive record of 245 wins, 157 losses, and 4 ties. His number of wins is second only to Eddie Robinson among coaches at historically black colleges and universities.

See also

• List of college football career coaching wins leaders