William Thomas Osmanski (December 29, 1915 – December 25, 1996), nicknamed "Bullet Bill", was an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
fullback 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 ...
of 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). He was briefly a head coach after his playing career. He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 1973 and in 1977 he was inducted into the
National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame
The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1973. The mission of the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame is to recognize and preserve outstanding achievement by individuals of Polish heritage in the field o ...
.
College of the Holy Cross
After graduating from Central High School in Providence, Osmanski attended the
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...
in
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...
. He played fullback for the Crusaders from 1936 to 1938. These three seasons were some of the most successful in Holy Cross' football history with the record of 23–3–3. "Bullet Bill" was named an All-American in 1938. He was named the Most Valuable Player at the College All-Star Game in 1939. His jersey number, 25, was retired by Holy Cross.
Chicago Bears
Osmanski was drafted in the first round with the sixth overall pick of the
1939 NFL draft
The 1939 NFL draft was held on December 9, 1938, at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected center Ki Aldrich.
Player selections
Round one
...
by 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 ...
. The pick paid immediate dividends for the Bears as Osmanski led 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 ...
in rushing in 1939 with 699 yards. The Bears also selected
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his 12 seasons with the Bears, he led t ...
in the first round, forming the backbone of the Bears' great 1940s teams, which won
championships
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946.
With a 68-yard run, Osmanski scored the first touchdown of Chicago's 73–0 victory over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
in the
1940 NFL Championship Game
The 1940 NFL Championship Game, sometimes referred to simply as 73–0, was the eighth title game of the National Football League (NFL). It was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on December 8, with a sellout capacity attendance ...
. He rushed for 109 yards in what remains the most one-sided championship game in the league's history.
Military career
In October 1943, Osmanski and some of his Bears teammates announced they would be joining the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
. A dentist who was regularly attached to divisions in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
, he worked as the head football coach at
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States Armed Forces, United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for Amphibious warfare, amphibious assault training, an ...
in 1944.
With the
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
, he served in the battles of
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
,
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...
, and
Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. In March 1945, he received a citation from the Marine Corps when he rescued a Navy doctor from
quicksand
Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it crea ...
while they were searching for bananas.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
ended, Osmanski was attached to the
2nd Marine Division
The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina a ...
serving as the occupying force in
Nagasaki
, officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...
, Japan. On January 1, 1946, he captained the Isahaya Tigers in the
Atom Bowl against
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 ...
winner
Angelo Bertelli's Nagasaki Bears; after trailing 13–0 at halftime, Osmanski scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Although the two had promised to end the game in a tie to ensure troop morale remain high, Osmanski kicked the game-winning extra point in the 14–13 Tiger victory; when Bertelli confronted him, Osmanski apologized and remarked, "It was an act of God!
..Either that, or force of habit."
Return to Chicago

Osmanski returned to the Bears in 1946, where he was joined by younger brother
Joe in the backfield.
The brothers and the Bears won the
1946 NFL Championship Game, Osmanski's fourth NFL title.
He retired in 1947.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
After retirement
After his retirement from the professional game, Osmanski became the head coach at his alma mater, Holy Cross. He coached the Crusaders for two seasons, 1948 and 1949, going 6–14.
During his playing years with the Bears, Osmanski attended dental school at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
. Following his coaching years, Osmanski opened a practice in Chicago. He also assisted in developing football
mouthguard
A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws c ...
s, and was the president of the Illinois Dental Society.
He died in Chicago on
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
Day, 1996.
Head coaching record
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osmanski, Bill
1915 births
1996 deaths
20th-century American dentists
American football fullbacks
Chicago Bears players
Holy Cross Crusaders football coaches
Holy Cross Crusaders football players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Northwestern University Dental School alumni
United States Navy personnel of World War II
Coaches of American football from Rhode Island
Players of American football from Providence, Rhode Island
American people of Polish descent
College of the Holy Cross alumni