Sonny Sixkiller facts for kids

Alex L. "Sonny" Sixkiller was born on September 6, 1951. He is a famous American former football player. He also worked as a sports commentator. Today, Sonny Sixkiller is a senior manager for Huskies Sports Properties. This company manages the rights for the University of Washington Athletics.

Early Life and High School Sports

Sonny Sixkiller is a member of the Cherokee Nation. He was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. When he was one year old, his family moved to Ashland, Oregon. His father worked there in a lumber mill.

Sonny went to Ashland High School. He was a good student and played many sports. He earned special recognition in football, basketball, and baseball.

Football Achievements

In football, Sonny was a talented player. He was chosen for the All-Southern Oregon Conference team. He was also a second-team all-state player. In his second year, he was a backup quarterback. The main quarterback, Gene Willis, later played at the University of Washington.

Other Sports

Sonny was also very good at basketball. He was chosen for the all-conference team in basketball. In baseball, he was a pitcher. He also made the all-conference team for baseball.

Sonny graduated from high school in 1969. He wanted to play football for Oregon State. But the coach, Dee Andros, did not offer him a scholarship. The coach was worried about Sonny's size. Sonny was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 171 pounds.

College Football at Washington

Gene Willis, his former teammate, suggested Sonny to the University of Washington coach, Jim Owens. Coach Owens then offered Sonny a scholarship. Sonny went to the University of Washington in Seattle. Because of his unique last name, he was given the jersey number 6.

Becoming a Star Quarterback

Sonny Sixkiller became the starting quarterback for the Huskies in 1970. This was his second year of college. The team had a very bad record of 1 win and 9 losses in 1969. But with Sonny, they improved a lot! They finished the 1970 season with 6 wins and 4 losses.

In that year, Sonny completed 186 passes. He threw for 2,303 yards and 15 touchdowns. Many people called 1970 "The Year of The Quarterback" because of his amazing performance.

Later College Years

Sonny missed four games in his final year, 1972. He finished his college career with great numbers. He completed 385 passes for 5,496 yards. He also threw 35 touchdowns. He held fifteen school records at the time.

The Huskies had strong seasons in 1971 and 1972. They had 8 wins and 3 losses in both years. Back then, the Pac-8 Conference only allowed one team to play in the Rose Bowl after the season. This rule changed in 1975.

Professional Football Career

Sonny Sixkiller was not chosen in the 1973 NFL draft. But he still tried out for professional teams. He tried out for the Los Angeles Rams in 1973. He also tried out for the Toronto Argonauts in Canada in 1974.

Playing in the WFL

In September 1974, he signed with the Philadelphia Bell. This team was part of the World Football League (WFL). In 1975, he played for The Hawaiians. The WFL was having money problems. Sonny and other players left the team late in the season. They were asked to take a 20% pay cut. The entire league stopped playing just one week later. Sonny also tried out for the San Diego Chargers in 1976.

Life After Football

Sonny Sixkiller also appeared in a movie! He was a cast member in the 1974 film The Longest Yard. Today, he works as an executive for a sports marketing company called IMG College. He helps his old university, the University of Washington.

See also

• Washington Huskies football statistical leaders