William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers (August 20, 1909 – March 11, 1979) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player and coach of football and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

and

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

and had a seven-year career in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) playing for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

and two other teams. Feathers is remembered for his 1934 rookie season in the NFL when he became the first player in league history to gain more than 1,000 yards rushing in a single year.

Early life and college career

Feathers attended Virginia High School, in

Bristol, Virginia Bristol is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the Twin cities (geographical proxi ...

, and led the school to its first state championship as team captain before going on to the

. He starred as a halfback from 1931 to 1933 for the Tennessee Volunteers football team led by head coach Robert Neyland. Feathers was a consensus selection to the

1933 College Football All-America Team The 1933 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1933. The eight selectors recognized by ...

. In December 2008, ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' undertook to identify the individuals who would have been awarded the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

in college football's early years, before the trophy was established in 1935. Feathers was selected as the would-be Heisman winner for the 1933 season.

NFL career

Feathers played professional football in the

(NFL) with the

, Brooklyn Dodgers, and

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

from 1934 to 1940. In his rookie season of 1934 he became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in one season. His average of 8.44 yards per attempt that same year remains an NFL record (minimum 100 carries). He also, as of 2024, is the only NFL player to have outrun the passing leader in a single season (He outran passing leader Arnie Herber by 205 yards that season) As of 2024, his 91.3 yards per game is also a Bears rookie franchise record. Feathers is one of ten players named to the National Football League 1930s All-Decade Team who have not been inducted into the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

Coaching career

After his career in the NFL, Feathers coached college football and

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

. He served as the head football coach at Appalachian State Teachers College—now known as

Appalachian State University Appalachian State University (), or App State, is a Public university, public research university in Boone, North Carolina, United States. It was founded as a normal school, teachers' college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and th ...

—in 1942 and at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

from 1944 to 1951, compiling a career college football coaching record of 42–40–4. Feathers was the head baseball coach at NC State in 1945, at

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...

from 1954 to 1960, and at

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

from 1972 to 1975, tallying a career college baseball coaching mark of 79–135–1. Feathers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1955. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. He stood 5'10" and 180 pounds.

Head coaching record

Football

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Feathers, Beattie 1909 births 1979 deaths American men's basketball players American football halfbacks Appalachian State Mountaineers football coaches Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players Chicago Bears players Green Bay Packers players NC State Wolfpack football coaches Tennessee Volunteers basketball players Tennessee Volunteers football players Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball coaches Texas Tech Red Raiders football coaches Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball coaches Wake Forest Demon Deacons football coaches All-American college football players All-Southern college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees People from Bristol, Virginia Coaches of American football from Virginia Players of American football from Virginia Basketball players from Virginia