The Redskins Blog

Redskins Hall Of Famer Bill Dudley Dies At 88

Super Bowl weekend is usually pretty joyous for the Pro Football Hall of Fame — it’s when they announce that year’s class of enshrinees — but this one is getting off to a sad start. Hall of Famer Bill Dudley died at the age of 88 in Lynchburg, Va. today, according to AP reports.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of Bill’s passing,” said Hall of Fame President/Executive Director Steve Perry according to a story on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website. “Perhaps as much as his greatness on the football field, we will remember Bill as a great friend and a true ambassador for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the sport he loved.”

Dudley was a star with the University of Virginia, the (then-)Pittsburg Steelers, the Detroit Lions, and the Washington Redskins. He’s one of the 70 Greatest Redskins and a member of the Ring of Fame at FedExField.

He’s also one of only three players to achieve a football “Triple Crown,” three individual statistical championships in one year. But he was also the only player to achieve the even rarer “Quadruple Crown,” according to the Hall of Fame website:

In 1946, Dudley became the first and only player to lead the NFL in four different statistical categories. “Bullet Bill” finished first in rushing, punt returns, interceptions, and lateral passing. Dudley’s unique accomplishment is often overlooked since lateral passing is no longer carried as a separate statistical category.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Bill Dudley Scholarship Foundation.

After the jump, some of Dudley’s significant statistical achievements, and a video celebrating his Redskins career.

Some achievements, from Dudley’s website:

• He was inducted in to the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
• He made the All-Pro team in 1942 and 1946.
• In 1946 he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
• Dudley is the only player in football history to receive MVP in college, service and pro sectors.
• Gained 8,147 combined net yards, scored 484 points and had 23 interceptions in his career.

http://p.castfire.com/GVrsz/video/242203/redskins_2010-02-04-144807.flv

Image of Bill Dudley’s 1951 Bowman football card from an excellent Dudley photo gallery at the Hall of Fame website.