Billy Vessels
Billy Dale Vessels (March 22, 1931 – November 17, 2001) was an American professional football player at the halfback position. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, winning a national championship in 1950 and being awarded the 1952 Heisman Trophy.
| Date of birth | March 22, 1931 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Cleveland, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Date of death | November 17, 2001 (aged 70) |
| Place of death | Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Halfback; wide receiver; kickoff returner |
| US college | Oklahoma |
| NFL draft | 1953 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 |
| Drafted by | Baltimore Colts |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1953 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 1954 | Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen |
| 1956 | Baltimore Colts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards | Heisman Trophy (1952) UPI Player of the Year (1952) SN Player of the Year (1952) CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award (1953) Eddie James Memorial Trophy (1953) Consensus All-American (1952) |
Despite being drafted in the first round of the 1953 draft (second pick overall) by the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL), Vessels signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU), playing one season there and winning the WIFU's inaugural award for the Most Outstanding Player of the league.
Vessels lost the next two years to military service, playing on the service team at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before joining the Colts for the 1956 campaign, his only NFL season. Unhappy being relegated to a reserve role under head coach Weeb Ewbank, Vessels retired after the 1956 season to take up the construction business in Coral Gables, Florida.