Bill Baird (born March 1, 1939) is an American former professional
football player who was a
defensive back for the
New York Jets of the
American Football League (AFL). He played
college football for the
San Francisco State Gators, playing as a defensive back,
halfback and
kick returner
A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...
. He played for the Jets from
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
to
1969. He,
Jim Hudson
James Clark Hudson (March 31, 1943 – June 25, 2013) was a professional American Football defensive back. He was one of the first players to ever win a national championship in college and a Super Bowl as a professional. Hudson played for the Ne ...
,
Randy Beverly, and
Johnny Sample
John B. Sample Jr. (June 15, 1936 – April 26, 2005) was an American football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts (1958–1960), Pittsburgh Steelers (1961–1962), and Washington Redskins (1963â ...
completely shut down the
Baltimore Colts' passing game in
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was an American football game played on January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. It was the third AFL–NFL Championship Game in professional American football, and the first to officially bear the trademark name "Su ...
, helping the Jets defeat what until that time had been touted as the greatest team in professional football history.
He later served as defensive backs coach for the
New York Jets from 1981 to 1984.
See also
*
List of American Football League players
The following is a list of men who played for the American Football League (AFL, 1960–1969).
Players
A
B
C
D
Elbert Dubenion
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
Notes
Player notes
1,398 ...
References
1939 births
Living people
People from Lindsay, California
Players of American football from Tulare County, California
American football cornerbacks
American football safeties
San Francisco State University alumni
New York Jets players
American Football League players
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