Bill Anderson (American football, born 1921)

William H. Anderson (born January 6, 1921) was an American football end who played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Yanks. He played college football for West Virginia.

Anderson was born on January 6, 1921, in Triadelphia, West Virginia. He attended there before playing college football for University of West Virginia. He was a letterman in 1943 before being drafted to serve in World War II.^[1]

Anderson was not selected in a NFL Draft, but was signed by the "Yanks", a merger between the Brooklyn Tigers and Boston Yanks, in 1945. As a Yank he appeared in between five and six games, playing on offense and defense at the end position.^[1][2]

In 1946, he was signed by the Wilmington Clippers in the minor American Football League (AFL). Though sought by the Yanks, he decided to stay with Wilmington.^[3] As a right end during the 1946 season, he appeared in nine out of ten games, and was a starter in eight. As a receiver, he caught ten passes for 247 yards, a 24.7 average.^[1]

He returned to the Clippers for the 1947 season, and compiled 166 receiving yards on eleven receptions, an average of 15.1 yards per catch. He also scored his only career touchdown, as he appeared in seven out of eight games.^[1] He left the Clippers in 1948, and stopped playing football professionally.

Whether or not he is still living is unknown. If he is still alive, he would be the oldest former NFL player, the only surviving member of both the Brooklyn Tigers and Boston Yanks, and one of two surviving Wilmington Clippers players (the other is Bob Hainlen).

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