Beattie Feathers

Beattie Feathers

Feathers from 1933 Volunteer
Sport(s) Football, basketball, baseball
Biographical details
Born (1909-08-20)August 20, 1909
Bristol, Virginia
Died March 11, 1979(1979-03-11) (aged 69)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Playing career
Football
1931–1933 Tennessee
1934–1937 Chicago Bears
1938–1939 Brooklyn Dodgers
1940 Green Bay Packers
Basketball
1931–1932 Tennessee
Position(s) Halfback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1942 Appalachian State
1944–1951 NC State
1954–1960 Texas Tech (assistant)
1961–1977 Wake Forest (assistant)
Baseball
1945 NC State
1954–1960 Texas Tech
1972–1975 Wake Forest
Head coaching record
Overall 42–40–4 (football)
79–135–1 (baseball)
Bowls 0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 Southern (1932)
Awards
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
All-Southern (1932)
All-SEC (1933)
SEC MVP (1933)
All-American (1933)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1955 (profile)

William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers (August 20, 1909 – March 11, 1979) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football and college basketball at the University of Tennessee. He starred as a halfback from 1931 to 1933 for the Tennessee Volunteers football team led by head coach Robert Neyland. Feathers was a consensus selection to the 1933 College Football All-America Team. In December 2008, Sports Illustrated undertook to identify the individuals who would have been awarded the Heisman Trophy in college football's early years, before the trophy was established in 1935. Feathers was selected as the would-be Heisman winner for the 1933 season.[1]

Feathers played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Green Bay Packers from 1934 to 1940. In his rookie season of 1934 he became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in one season.[2] His average of 8.44 yards per attempt that same year remains an NFL record (minimum 100 carries).

After his career in the NFL, Feathers coached college football and college baseball. He served as the head football coach at Appalachian State Teachers College—now known as Appalachian State University—in 1942 and at North Carolina State University from 1944 to 1951, compiling a career college football coaching record of 42–40–4. Feathers was the head baseball coach at NC State in 1945, at Texas Tech University from 1954 to 1960,[3] and at Wake Forest University from 1972 to 1975, tallying a career college baseball coaching mark of 79–135–1.

Feathers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1955. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.

Early life

Feathers attended Virginia High School, in Bristol, Virginia, and led the school to its first state championship as team captain before going on to the University of Tennessee.

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs AP#
Appalachian State Mountaineers (North State Conference) (1942)
1942 Appalachian State 5–2–1 2–2 3rd
Appalachian State: 5–2–1 2–2
NC State Wolfpack (Southern Conference) (1944–1951)
1944 NC State 7–2 3–1 T–3rd
1945 NC State 3–6 2–4 8th
1946 NC State 8–3 6–1 3rd L Gator 18
1947 NC State 5–3–1 3–2–1 T–6th 17
1948 NC State 3–6–1 1–4–1 14th
1949 NC State 3–7 3–6 13th
1950 NC State 5–4–1 4–4–1 T–9th
1951 NC State 3–7 2–6 T–12th
NC State: 37–38–3 24–28–3
Total: 42–40–4
#Rankings from final AP Poll.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mike Beacom (December 12, 2008). "Who would have won the Heisman from 1900-1934". Sports Illustrated.
  2. ↑ "Infographic: NFL on Wednesday". Profootballhof.com. February 7, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Texas Tech Official Athletic Site: 2008 Baseball Media Guide". Texastech.cstv.com. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
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