Bill Banker

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Bill Banker
BillyBanker.jpg
"The Blonde Blizzard" c. 1929
Tulane Green Wave No. 18
Position Halfback
Class Graduate
Career history
College Tulane (1927–1929)
Personal information
Date of birth (1907-04-04)April 4, 1907
Place of birth Lake Charles, Louisiana
Date of death Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Place of death New Orleans, Louisiana
Career highlights and awards
College Football Hall of Fame (1977)

Willis Burton "Bill" Banker (April 4, 1907 – September 25, 1985) was an American college football player and one-time vice president of Pinnacle Oil Co.[1]

Tulane University

Banker was a prominent halfback for the Tulane Green Wave football team of Tulane University from 1927 to 1929,[2] in the last leading Tulane to an undefeated season.[3] He was known as the "Blonde Blizzard" due to his blonde hair and playing without a helmet.[4]

During the 1929 game with Georgia Tech, Banker wore a helmet onto the field because coach Bernie Bierman threatened to yank him out of the game. But the helmet slipped over his eyes as the Yellow Jackets were preparing to kickoff, so Banker tossed it to the sideline, and was never taken out, calling Bierman's bluff.[5] He was featured as part of the All-American football team in the 1930 Warner Bros. feature movie Maybe It's Love starring 20-year-old Joan Bennett and comedian Joe E. Brown.[6]

Banker once held Tulane's school records for career scoring (263 points), career touchdowns (37), career rushing yards (2,516), touchdowns in a single game (4), most rushes in a career (515), most rushes in a game (43) and average yards rushing in a game (93.2).[7] Banker was a charter member of the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame.[8] He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.[5]

Death

Banker died of a heart attack on September 25, 1985.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv25/CFHSNv25n3e.pdf
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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