Bill Willis

William Karnet Willis was an American football middle guard and guard who played for eight seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL). Known for his quickness and strength despite his small stature, Willis was one of the dominant defensive football players of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was named an All-Pro in every season of his career and reached the NFL's Pro Bowl in three of the four seasons he played in the league. His techniques and style of play were emulated by other teams, and his versatility as a pass-rusher and coverage man influenced the development of the modern-day linebacker position. When he retired, Cleveland coach Paul Brown called him "one of the outstanding linemen in the history of professional football".

5 October 1921

Born on the same birth day (5 October): Aaron Guiel • Dillon Francis • Eduardo Duhalde • James Rizzi • Neil deGrasse Tyson • Pär Lindholm • Ralph Goodale • Remington Kellogg • Scott Weinger

Born in the same month (October 1921): Aleksandr Kronrod • Art Clokey • Azumafuji Kin'ichi • Baku Mahadeva • Baselios Marthoma Didymos I • Beatrice Worsley • Bill Mauldin • Edmund Crispin • George Nader • Hans Warren • Jerry Cooke (photographer) • Jesse Helms • Joseph Lowery • Matt Batts • Michael I of Romania • Priscilla Buckley • Ray Lindwall • Raymond Goethals • Robert Runcie • Valli Lember-Bogatkina